Cardano Hardfork Set for This Week

Cardano’s relentless focus on scientific research and peer-reviewed innovation has not only solved the blockchain trilemma of scalability, security, and decentralization — it’s set the stage for tackling an even greater challenge. As the industry matures, decentralized governance emerges as the critical “fourth pillar,” essential for long-term sustainability and true community ownership. With the Plomin Hardfork, Cardano moves beyond technical bootstrapping to lead the way in on-chain governance, charting a course where few blockchains dare or attempt to follow. This article delves into the Plomin Hardfork, its announcement, and more.

Hardfork Date Announced

On January 23rd, 2025, Intersect, a Cardano Member-Based Organization (MBO), announced that Cardano’s next hardfork was scheduled for January 29th, 2025. The three thresholds specified for a hardfork action were met: at least 85% of stake pools by active stake were upgraded to a Cardano node version capable of processing the rules associated with the new protocol version; over 51% of SPOs voted in favor of the hardfork; and over 67% of the Interim Constitutional Committee (ICC) determined the hardfork was constitutional. The hardfork’s ratification and implementation timelines were outlined in Plomin Hardfork Bulletin #12, following the ICC’s Action Constitutionality vote to approve the event. All seven members of the ICC unanimously supported the proposal.

The Plomin Hardfork represents a historic milestone as the first blockchain hardfork to utilize on-chain governance, establishing a new standard of transparency and accountability within the Cardano ecosystem.

Plomin Hardfork Explained

The Plomin Hardfork is the second phase of the Chang Hardfork, designed to bring decentralized on-chain governance to Cardano. Initially referred to as Chang #2, the event was renamed to honor Matthew Plomin, the visionary CEO of Moneta and issuer of Cardano’s fiat-backed stablecoin, USDM. This event marks the full implementation of Cardano’s governance capabilities as defined in CIP-1694, signaling the start of the Voltaire era and laying the foundation for a truly decentralized governance framework on the Cardano blockchain.

Once the Cardano blockchain enters epoch 537 and the hardfork combinator event concludes, the network will unlock all governance actions and operate under its tripartite governance structure, becoming truly decentralized. This system consists of the constitutional committee, responsible for safeguarding protocol integrity; delegated representatives, who advocate for community proposals; and stake pool operators, who serve as a technical backbone for validating decisions. Together, these groups ensure a balanced, transparent, and decentralized decision-making process.

The Plomin Hardfork will not only make Cardano the largest DAO in the world; it will also set an industry standard for governance. Much like how Cardano set the benchmark with custodial liquid staking, this governance structure is poised to redefine how decentralized ecosystems function at scale. By enabling the community to propose and vote on network improvements, amend the Cardano Constitution, allocate treasury funds, and adjust protocol parameters, Cardano is advancing decentralization to new heights while maintaining operational efficiency.

Conclusion

With the Plomin Hardfork, Cardano not only achieves full decentralization but also sets the benchmark for governance in blockchain ecosystems. It represents a crucial step toward realizing its vision of a fully community-driven blockchain. It will be interesting to see where decentralized governance takes Cardano’s development in the coming months and years.