Cardano Activates Van Rossum Hard Fork and Expands Network Governance

On July 18, Cardano launched the hard fork Van Rossum, migrating the blockchain to the 11th version of the protocol. This update brings improvements to smart contracts and creates a historic moment at the network level: it is the first time that a complete approval has been granted by the network's participants through an on-chain governance system.

Unlike previous hard forks coordinated by Input Output, this proposal was discussed, voted on, and confirmed under the governance mechanism created during the Voltaire era. As a result, delegated representatives, the constitutional committee, and stake pool operators directly decided on the protocol update.

The proposal received support from 78.97% of delegated representatives, exceeding the required minimum of 60%. The constitutional committee unanimously approved the update, while 53.02% of stake pool operators voted in favor. Before activation, Cardano's Constitution required at least 85% of active network participants to use a version compatible with the software. This requirement was surpassed, reaching approximately 93% of block production.

From a technical perspective, the 11th version still belongs to the current Voltaire era and does not change the user experience for those using ADA. Wallets continue to operate normally, transactions follow the same format, and network fees remain unchanged.

The main changes are in Plutus, the platform used for developing smart contracts. This update unifies the features available across different versions of the tools and reduces the processing costs of these applications. In fact, DeFi protocols, NFT markets, and other projects will be able to execute contracts more efficiently after updating their code.

The 11th version also introduces new rules for the blockchain ledger, including mechanisms to prevent two stake pools from using the same identity in the network.

"In addition to improvements in Plutus and enhancements to the Plutus cost model, this update also lays the groundwork for the next update, the hard fork of the Dijkstra era, which will introduce Ouroboros Leios to Cardano," Input Output wrote in a development report.

Ouroboros Leios is expected to significantly expand Cardano's processing capacity by the end of 2026. In addition to technical improvements, the Van Rossum hard fork establishes a new model for the evolution of the blockchain: ADA holders will begin to formally approve future protocol changes through decentralized governance.

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