The Cardano blockchain is entering the final stages of preparation for its next significant protocol enhancement. Development activity is intensifying ahead of the planned “van Rossem” hard fork, which has now received formal approval from the network’s decentralized governance body.
Governance Consensus and Technical Rollout
In a decisive show of support, Cardano’s Decentralized Representatives (DReps) voted overwhelmingly to transition to Protocol Version 11. The proposal, named in honor of DRep Max van Rossem, garnered backing from more than 80% of the active DRep stake. This strong consensus highlights the operational effectiveness of Cardano’s on-chain governance system, contrasting with the contentious forks often seen in other blockchain ecosystems. Agreement between core developers and governance participants appears solid.
On the technical front, developers released Plutus Version 1.58.0.0 this past Saturday. This update is a core component for the upcoming upgrade, bringing performance improvements to the network’s smart contract scripting language. Unlike previous major events such as the Chang or Vasil hard forks, this is classified as an “Intra-Era” upgrade. This designation means no fundamental alterations to the ledger structure or transaction formats are required, which should significantly reduce integration work for exchanges and wallet providers.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying Cardano?
Development Progress and Market Context
The current development trajectory shows clear advancement. To ensure stability during the transition, Cardano Node v10.6.2 has already been deployed. The next step is the anticipated release of Node v10.7.0 within the coming two weeks, which is slated to be the final candidate for the mainnet. The SanchoNet testnet is already running successfully on Protocol Version 11, with a focus on enhanced node security, improved ledger consistency, and optimized Plutus execution.
While development momentum remains high, Cardano’s market valuation reflects the broader cautious sentiment in the digital asset space. ADA is currently trading around $0.28, giving the token a market capitalization of approximately $10.2 billion. The Fear & Greed Index is registering readings between 7 and 12, indicating “Extreme Fear” among market participants. The price is testing a critical support zone between $0.27 and $0.28.
Despite this muted price action, institutional holder Grayscale has maintained its ADA positions. Furthermore, the network recently saw the minting of native USDCx tokens. A successful hard fork completion is expected to bolster the infrastructure for Cardano’s next major milestone: the planned mainnet launch of the privacy-focused sidechain “Midnight,” scheduled for the end of March 2026.
Ad
Cardano Stock: Buy or Sell?! New Cardano Analysis from February 21 delivers the answer:
The latest Cardano figures speak for themselves: Urgent action needed for Cardano investors. Is it worth buying or should you sell? Find out what to do now in the current free analysis from February 21.
Cardano: Buy or sell? Read more here...