Cardano Chang Hard Fork Update: Key Milestones and Future Directions - Crypto Economy

TL;DR

• Charles Hoskinson announced the near completion of node 9.0 for the Chang hard fork.
• The Chang hard fork will mark the beginning of the Voltaire phase, which focuses on governance.
• The Cardano community will play a crucial role in future decision-making.

---

In a recent AMA session streamed live from Wyoming, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson provided a long-awaited update on the blockchain platform’s progress and the upcoming Chang hard fork.

From his ranch, Hoskinson reflected on the long road traveled, highlighting both the challenges and the achievements, especially in the area of ​​governance.

He mentioned that the completion of CIP 1694, a crucial element in advancing Cardano’s infrastructure, was one of the biggest achievements, taking around two years to complete.

Hoskinson’s main announcement was that node 9.0, essential for the Chang hard fork, is almost ready.

“It’s pretty much there,” he said, noting that this node has been refined to ensure compatibility and stability.

The signal for the update is expected to come next week, possibly Monday or Tuesday, if no unforeseen issues are discovered.

The Chang hard fork is a defining moment for Cardano as it will begin the transition to the Voltaire era, a development phase that will focus heavily on governance.

Hoskinson expressed his excitement at reaching this point, which has been “two years in the making.”

Once the node density on the network reaches approximately 70%, the hard fork will be activated, enabling new governance capabilities and greater community involvement in decision-making processes.

Looking ahead, Hoskinson spoke about the complexities of moving forward under the Basho era, which focuses on network scalability and optimization.

He stressed the need for considerable community participation to balance various trade-offs, such as on-chain versus off-chain data handling and on-chain fragmentation.

He highlighted upcoming milestones such as Plutus V3, Hydra, Leios, and Mithril, presenting them as strong candidates for the upcoming governance vote, which will ratify the final state of Basho and how resources will be allocated, underscoring the shift towards a completely community-driven development model.

Reflection and Future Projection for Cardano

Reflecting on the nearly ten-year journey, Hoskinson celebrated the growth of the community and its increasing control over Cardano’s roadmap, which he sees as evidence of the blockchain platform’s maturity in becoming an industry leader.

Despite some technical difficulties during the session due to poor internet connection at his location, Hoskinson promised to continue the conversation from his office on Monday, assuring that any outstanding questions or discussions would be addressed in a timely manner.

Hoskinson’s vision for the future includes increased community participation and collective decisions on the fate of Cardano, strengthening its position as a dynamic, decentralized blockchain platform with a world-class governance system.

With the Chang hard fork and subsequent developments, Cardano is on track to consolidate its global strategy and plan, positioning itself as a benchmark in the field of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

At the time of writing, ADA was trading at $0.376, according to official data from CoinMarketCap.