Conflux (CFX) CFX releases v3.0.3 testnet with CIP-166 opcode and critical bug fixes

Conflux (CFX) Network released the v3.0.3 testnet upgrade on February 28th, addressing seven bug fixes and introducing CIP-166, a new Count Leading Zeros opcode that extends smart contract functionality on EVM-compatible chains.

The upgrade comes as CFX is down 9.31% in 24 hours, trading at $0.0458, with the token consolidating near a key support level following Kraken’s listing in February.

What’s actually in this release?

The most important fix addresses an issue with the CIP-78 sponsor flag, specifically the inaccuracy. gasCoveredBySponsor and storageCoveredBySponsor Receipt fields were visible in canceled transactions during testnet playback. For developers building on Conflux’s sponsorship mechanism (a core feature that allows dApps to pay for users’ gas bills), this was causing transaction tracking headaches.

Other notable fixes include:

• deadlock problem fee_history RPC responses can freeze
• Overflow bug that causes panic if Proof-of-Stake forced retirement event is triggered early
• Maintenance of incorrect gas limits in transaction packing pools
• Irregularities in CPU mining timing

The new CIP-166 opcode adds the Count Leading Zeros feature, a low-level operation useful for manipulating bits in smart contracts. These opcodes are technical, but important to developers optimizing gas-guzzling computations.

RPC improvements for developers

This release includes several quality of life improvements for builders. of eth_blockByNumber calls are now supported pending Use tags to approximate standard Ethereum RPC behavior. The transaction receipt includes: accumulatedGasUsed An additional field has been added to core space logs that now include a timestamp. This is a small addition that streamlines debugging.

new dump A subcommand allows operators to export all eSpace accounts to JSON, useful for state analysis and migration scenarios.

Infrastructure modernization

Behind the scenes, the team brought Rust to version 1.90 and updated core dependencies like revm and c-kzg. New GitHub Actions workflows now automate builds across Linux, macOS, and Windows. This is a sign of maturity in our development infrastructure following the 3.0 “Treegraph” major upgrade shipped in August 2025.

Do node operators need to be upgraded?

Conflux explicitly states that this upgrade is optional. This fix targets stability rather than consensus changes, so nodes running older versions will not be forked from the network. However, operators experiencing RPC deadlocks or transaction pool issues should consider upgrading.

Simple process: stop the node, replace the executable, and restart. New operators can obtain v3.0.3-testnet directly from the GitHub releases page.

Maintaining infrastructure stability is important for the network, which has positioned itself as a Chinese regulatory-compliant blockchain gateway, complete with Tether’s CNH-pegged stablecoin, which launched in November. It remains to be seen whether this testnet release signals an impending mainnet update, but the pace of development suggests aggressive protocol maintenance ahead of a potential enterprise adoption cycle.

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