Deep Dive
1. Staking Program Sunset (May 2026)
Overview: The team permanently halted the native MANTA staking program. This change stops the minting of new tokens as rewards, directly impacting users who relied on this for passive income.
The decision was driven by a desire to create a more sustainable tokenomics model. The team stated that issuing new tokens as staking rewards was diluting the value for all holders over time. The program officially stopped generating rewards on 20 May 2026, allowing operators to exit immediately.
What this means: This is neutral for MANTA in the long term because it reduces sell pressure from newly minted tokens, which could help price stability. However, it removes a key utility and yield opportunity for holders in the short term, which could reduce demand from investors seeking passive income.
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2. Manta Atlantic Deprecation (August 2026)
Overview: Manta Network is sunsetting its original Polkadot-based chain, Manta Atlantic, on 1 August 2026. This is a major architectural shift requiring users to migrate assets.
This consolidation moves the project's full focus to its Ethereum Layer 2, Manta Pacific. The deprecation is due to the parachain slot expiration. This change simplifies the network's structure and aims to improve development efficiency by concentrating on one main chain.
What this means: This is bullish for MANTA because it streamlines development efforts and resources onto a single, more scalable platform (Manta Pacific). A unified chain can lead to faster innovation and a better user experience, though it requires a successful migration from existing Atlantic users.
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3. Manta Labs & App Incubation (October 2025)
Overview: Manta launched "Manta Labs," a chain-agnostic ecosystem and developer hub aimed at incubating user-facing applications. This represents a strategic pivot from pure infrastructure to app-driven growth.
The initiative is already supporting apps like SUPERFORTUNE888 and Junkfun, which reportedly see over 30,000 daily active users. The model involves strategic MANTA token buybacks and allocating app revenue to support the token ecosystem, indicating backend economic and smart contract updates.
What this means: This is bullish for MANTA because it shifts the value proposition from network fees to actual product revenue and user adoption. Successful apps can drive real demand for the token and attract a broader user base, making the ecosystem more resilient and valuable.
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Conclusion
Manta Network's development trajectory shows a clear shift from building foundational infrastructure to consolidating its chain and pursuing application-level growth. While visible GitHub commit activity on core repositories has slowed, the project is executing significant strategic changes to its tokenomics and product focus. Will the success of Manta Labs' incubated applications generate enough new demand to offset the loss of staking utility?