Van Rossem, Cardano’s latest upgrade, was activated on July 18, 2026, at 21:44:51 UTC, marking the network’s shift to Protocol Version 11. A stakeholder involved in the governance process commented, «This milestone confirms Cardano’s commitment to decentralized decision making without disrupting network operations.» The hard fork passed smoothly with zero downtime, reflecting strong coordination among node operators and participants.

The Van Rossem upgrade implements five Cardano Improvement Proposals designed to enhance both performance and security. Key improvements include CIP-133, which introduces multi-scalar multiplication over BLS12-381, enabling verification of thousands of signatures simultaneously. This facilitates advanced functions like zero-knowledge proofs and multi-signature wallets that previously required off-chain processing. Additional proposals optimize data handling through a native array type (CIP-138), improve multi-asset value management (CIP-153), speed up list operations (CIP-132), and add modular exponentiation as a built-in function (CIP-109). Collectively, these changes reduce execution costs and accelerate smart contract performance.

Security upgrades are notable: stake pools must now use unique Verifiable Random Function keys, eliminating a prior vector for potential attacks and increasing network integrity. Ledger consistency rules have also been strengthened to maintain node alignment amid rising transaction volumes. Intersect MBO, coordinating the Hard Fork Working Group, reported high readiness among both stake pools and exchanges ahead of the activation.

The governance process for Van Rossem was fully onchain, marking a historic first for Cardano. Delegated representatives approved the upgrade with 77.63% support, surpassing the 60% approval threshold. Stake pool operators gave 52.7% backing, just above the required 51%, and the Constitutional Committee voted unanimously in favor (6-0-0-1). Voting concluded five days prior to the fork at the epoch boundary. Despite the upgrade, ADA traded slightly lower at $0.16462 after the fork, down 0.88%. Meanwhile, large holders increased their ADA balances to the highest levels since 2023, showing sustained confidence.

This material is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice.