Cardano has launched the Van Rosem hard fork on the main web and upgraded the network to protocol version 11. This is the first time that the network has been fully approved by a chain governance mechanism, and it means that the Conway-era governance design has begun to enter the physical landing phase.

For the first time, the chain approved it.

Unlike previous upgrades, the proposal was voted on by various parties under Cardano ' s new governance system, including delegated representatives (DReps), pledge pool operators (SPOs) and the Constitutional Council (CC). Intersect, which is responsible for coordinating the governance process, subsequently confirmed that the upgrade was formally effective on the main web site.

In accordance with the pre-upgrading governance requirements, at least 85 per cent of active pledge pools are required to complete compatible nodes software upgrades to minimize operational risks during network switching and to provide conditions for a smooth transition of the main network.

Plutus Contract Implementation Costs Decline

Version 11 of the protocol focuses on enhancing the efficiency of the Plutus smart contract and reducing the cost of the developers deploying and running decentrized applications. The upgrade incorporated a number of Cardano improvements to adjust the contract implementation model and development experience.

  • Optimizing cost models to reduce implementation costs of smart contracts
  • Add a new case expression and increase the processing speed
  • Expand password function to add BLS12-381 support

This upgrade also enhances consistency between Plutus V1, V2 and V3 and allows developers to use more uniform built-in functions in different versions. Cardano also updated the rules of the books of accounts and enhanced the network security design.

Preparation for the Dijkstra phase

Intersect states that the test results do not show a performance retreat after the upgrade and that the relevant security audit has covered the new Plutus functionality and implementation cost model. At the same time, the format of the transaction remains the same, and the pressure to move from existing applications is relatively low.

In addition to improving the performance of the current network, version 11 of the protocol paves the way for the subsequent Dijkstra phase of Cardano. The next phase, along the existing lines, is expected to introduce more advanced smart contractual capabilities. On the market side, after the upgrade was completed, ADA was slightly higher, and it was mentioned that the price had risen to about 0.1649.