Cardano Vasil Hard Fork Pushed Back by Some Weeks

Citing plans for a hitch-free launch, the Cardano team shared news of yet another delay to the long-anticipated Cardano Vasil hard fork via a Youtube video yesterday.

Not the First Delay

The upcoming hard fork is the most significant update to the network users have seen since September 2021’s Alonzo hard fork. Input Output Global, the Cardano network’s research and development organization has tagged the Vasil hard fork a “game changer.” Reportedly, the upgrade will take Cardano’s speed and scalability to the next level, generally improving its compatibility with smart contracts and DApps. In recent times, there have been suggestions Cardano’s upgrade could finally offer some competition to the Ethereum blockchain.

IOG originally set the date for the hard fork in late June. However, Vasil did not go live when the initial launch date rolled around. Subsequently, the Cardano team put it on hold till the last week of July due to several technical glitches. 

Buying More Time to Prepare

Now at the set date once more, the network devs have postponed the launch of the Vasil hard fork yet again. Kevin Hammond, IOG’s technical manager broke the news of the delay during Thursday’s YouTube update. Hammond explained that the team gives dates alongside a rollout plan to ensure the community can prepare for their rollouts. 

However, he acknowledged that these dates are subject to change as it is inevitable that certain issues show up. When this happens, such as now, the team must assess them and determine how they could affect the network. They must ensure the network is fully ready and test out all possible scenarios against any major problem. 

Hammond stated that the team is also intent on providing all its relevant participants with adequate time to prepare. These participants include exchanges and DApp developers, as well as the Cardano team. 

Devs Focused On Getting it Right

To achieve maximum preparation, Hammond revealed it could be a couple of weeks before the dev team finally gets a go-ahead with the Vasil hard fork. 

Indeed, IOG’s attention is currently on node version 1.35.2, as the devs are doing some final testing and benchmarking. Slated as a release for testnet only, this node version resolves problems that stake pool operators, DApp devs, internal testing, and others have spotted. 

As the team moves forward with new node versions, they will keep in close touch with stake pool operators and other users. Regardless of the team’s recent decisions, Hammond reiterated that the Cardano community has been extremely supportive.