On July 18, Cardano implemented the Van Rossem hard fork, advancing its protocol to version 11. This upgrade reduces smart contract costs and sets the stage for a major scalability improvement scheduled for 2026. this marks the first hard fork approved exclusively through Cardano's onchain governance, shifting control from its original developer Input Output to the community itself.

Technical Details and Governance Approval

The Van Rossem upgrade introduced key changes focusing on more efficient smart contract execution, thereby lowering fees. While standard ADA transactions remain unaffected presently, the fork prepares the network for the upcoming Ouroboros Leios scalability protocol. Data from Cardanoscan indicates the protocol upgrade occurred between epoch 643 and 644, becoming active on July 18 at 21:44 UTC following a governance vote finalized on July 13.

Approval involved three groups: delegated representatives, the constitutional committee, and pool operators. Delegated representatives, who act similarly to parliamentary delegates for ADA holders, supported the upgrade with 78.97% voting yes against a 60% approval threshold. The constitutional committee unanimously confirmed the proposal’s compliance with the Cardano Constitution. Meanwhile, pool operators, responsible for running the network infrastructure, gave a narrower endorsement, passing it with just 53.02% approval.

Shift in Protocol Control and User Impact

This update represents a departure from prior hard forks, all of which were directed and implemented by Input Output, Cardano's founding engineering company. The transition to community-led protocol changes shows the effectiveness of Cardano’s Voltaire era governance framework, enabling direct stakeholder engagement in network upgrades. The Van Rossem hard fork thus serves as a significant milestone, indicating increased decentralization in the governance process.

Users benefit from reduced smart contract costs, which can enhance decentralized application efficiency and usability. Preparation work for the Ouroboros Leios protocol also hints at future improvements in network scalability, essential for handling higher transaction volumes and complex operations. Such developments align with broader trends in blockchain governance seen in other projects, as decentralized decision-making gains prominence.