On July 18, Cardano activated the hard fork Van Rossum, migrating the blockchain to version 11 of the protocol. The update introduces improvements for smart contracts and marked a historic moment for the network as it was the first to be fully approved by participants themselves through the on-chain governance system.
Unlike previous hard forks, coordinated by Input Output, the proposal was debated, voted on, and ratified by the governance mechanisms created during the Voltaire era. As a result, delegated representatives, the constitutional committee, and staking pool operators decided directly on the protocol update.
The proposal received support from 78,97% of delegated representatives, above the required minimum of 60%. The constitutional committee approved the update unanimously, while 53,02% of pool operators voted in favor. Before activation, the Cardano Constitution also required that at least 85% of the network's active stake use the compatible software version. Adoption exceeded this requirement, reaching about 93% of block production.
From a technical standpoint, version 11 remains within the current Voltaire era and does not change the experience for those who use ADA. Wallets continue to function normally, transactions keep the same format, and network fees remain unchanged.
The main changes are in Plutus, the platform used to develop smart contracts. The update unifies features available in different versions of the tool and reduces the processing cost of these applications. In practice, DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and other projects will be able to execute contracts more efficiently after updating their code.
Version 11 also adds new rules to the blockchain ledger, including mechanisms that prevent two staking pools from using the same identity on the network.
"In addition to improvements in Plutus and enhancements to the Plutus Cost Model, this update lays the groundwork for the next update, the Dijkstra era hard fork, which will introduce Ouroboros Leios to Cardano," Input Output wrote in a development report.
Scheduled for the end of 2026, Ouroboros Leios is expected to significantly expand Cardano's processing capacity. In addition to the technical improvements, the Van Rossum hard fork establishes a new model for the blockchain's evolution, in which ADA holders formally approve future changes to the protocol through decentralized governance.
