The blockchain landscape has gained a new independent player with the official launch of the Movement Network's M1 Mainnet. On December 22, 2025, Move Industries, the core contributor to the network, announced that Movement has successfully completed its migration from an Ethereum Layer 2 solution to a fully sovereign Layer 1 blockchain.
A Pioneering Migration in the Move Ecosystem
This transition marks a significant technical milestone, representing the first evolution from an L2 to an L1 within the Move Virtual Machine (VM) ecosystem. Unlike typical blockchain launches, Movement has demonstrated that a strategic architectural shift is feasible without disrupting its user base. The migration was executed seamlessly, transferring all user funds, smart contracts, and on-chain activity without requiring any action from developers or token holders.
The performance gains are substantial. The network has leaped from approximately 500 transactions per second (TPS) as an L2 to over 10,000 TPS as an independent Layer 1. According to Dr. Young Yang Liauw, Chief Technology Officer of Move Industries, this was more than a simple upgrade. "This wasn't just a technical upgrade, it was a fundamental reimagining of what's possible in blockchain architecture," he stated.
Architecture Built for Decentralization and Speed
The new sovereign architecture, dubbed M1, addresses core limitations often associated with Layer 2 networks. It eliminates dependency on external chains for security and does away with centralized sequencers, common points of control in many L2 solutions. M1 achieves sub-second finality through a validator-based consensus mechanism, aiming to provide both high speed and true decentralization.
A notable feature of the new network's staking model is its community-centric design. Only unlocked $MOVE tokens can be staked to earn rewards, a rule that prevents team members and early investors from staking locked tokens. This structure is intended to ensure that network security is controlled by the broader community rather than by insiders.
Empowering Developers with Move 2.0
From its first day of operation, the M1 Mainnet supports the Move 2.0 programming language, positioning Movement as one of the few major blockchains to offer this enhanced environment. Move 2.0 is designed to offer developers familiar semantics while providing security advantages considered superior to those of Solidity, the language underpinning Ethereum. This allows developers to build on a high-performance L1 without abandoning their existing work or ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the sovereign L1 will serve as the foundational layer for its own ecosystem of application-specific Layer 2s. It aims to function as both a high-performance execution layer and a settlement hub for the wider Move ecosystem.
"M1 provides us with the performance necessary to meet the demands of the future," said Torab Torabi, CEO of Move Industries. "We're focused on real-world assets and emerging markets. Areas where crypto can actually change lives. Move is for money, and M1 is built to prove it."
The launch solidifies Move Industries' vision of a community-first, Move-based blockchain ecosystem, with an expressed intention to return to cryptocurrency's radical roots of democratizing financial power and opportunity.
