Flow Network Avoids Transaction Rollback, Implements Phased Recovery Strategy

Flow has announced a significant shift in its network restoration approach, ditching the controversial transaction rollback methodology in favor of a data-preservation-focused recovery plan. According to updates released in late December, this decision marks a fundamental change in how the blockchain will address the recent attack incident and restore normal operations. The new strategy ensures that legitimate transactions remain intact and ecosystem participants can avoid the complexity of transaction replays.

Why Transaction Rollback Was Ruled Out: The Isolation-Based Alternative

The Flow Foundation and its ecosystem partners collaboratively developed an alternative remediation approach that prioritizes preservation over erasure. Rather than implementing traditional transaction rollback and reassembly procedures, the network will employ an isolation-based methodology that protects existing data integrity. This decision reflects consultation with bridging operators, major trading platforms, and infrastructure partners—stakeholders whose operational stability depends on maintaining transaction history consistency. The isolation strategy allows the network to quarantine problematic segments without affecting the broader ledger.

Four-Phase Restoration Timeline and User Impact

The recovery process will unfold across four carefully sequenced phases. During Phase 1, the Cadence environment will activate while the EVM component remains temporarily restricted in read-only mode. Phase 2 introduces schedule adjustments lasting approximately 24-48 hours. Phase 3 marks the restoration and full reactivation of the EVM system. Finally, Phase 4 reinstates bridged operations as normal service resumes. The foundation emphasized that over 99.9% of user accounts remain unaffected and will function at full capacity following network restart.

Ecosystem Coordination Ensures Smooth Network Recovery

This phased approach reflects intensive coordination among Flow Foundation, ecosystem partners, and infrastructure operators. Rather than imposing unified timelines, the recovery framework allows operators to confirm stability independently before progressing to each subsequent phase. The specific timing for each phase will be determined by operators after verifying system stability under actual operational conditions, ensuring no rush to restoration at the expense of network reliability.