Berachain Launches PoL Next Upgrade, Ditching BGT for WBERA Rewards
Berachain's first PoL Next upgrade phase eliminates the BGT token, shifting network rewards to WBERA in a major protocol overhaul.
Berachain has activated the first stage of its PoL Next hard fork, a sweeping protocol upgrade that dismantles the blockchain's existing dual-token reward model and replaces it with a single-token system centered on WBERA, according to a report from Cointelegraph. The move marks one of the most significant structural changes the network has undergone since its launch.
At the core of the upgrade is the elimination of BGT, the governance and liquidity token that previously anchored Berachain's Proof-of-Liquidity consensus mechanism. Under the new framework, WBERA — a wrapped version of the network's native BERA token — takes over as the primary reward asset distributed to participants who provide liquidity and support network security.
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The shift to a single-token reward structure is widely seen as an attempt to simplify Berachain's tokenomics, which critics had argued were overly complex. By consolidating rewards into WBERA, the protocol aims to reduce friction for new users and potentially improve liquidity depth by concentrating incentives around one asset rather than splitting them across two.
The PoL Next upgrade is being rolled out in stages, meaning additional changes beyond the BGT phase-out are expected to follow. Observers in the decentralized finance space will be watching closely to see whether the simplified model attracts greater participation in Berachain's liquidity ecosystem or whether the removal of BGT creates short-term turbulence among existing token holders.
Continue reading at Cointelegraph.
