Cardano is approaching its next protocol upgrade — the van Rossem hard fork. Here is what it changes and why the process behind it is just as significant as the upgrade itself.
What is it?
The van Rossem upgrade moves Cardano to Protocol Version 11. It is an intra-era hard fork — meaning no new ledger era, minimal disruption for users and DApps. The changes include improvements to Plutus smart contract performance, updates to the Plutus cost model making certain operations cheaper, and ZK-ready cryptographic primitives. It also lays the groundwork for the Dijkstra era, the next step toward bringing Leios to mainnet.
Who was Max van Rossem?
The name is not ceremonial. Max van Rossem was a developer, stake pool operator, DRep, and Constitutional Convention delegate who passed away on January 11, 2026 — the same day his son was born. An on-chain naming vote in early 2026 drew over 80% DRep support, one of the most decisive governance votes Cardano has recorded.
Why this hard fork is different
This is the first hard fork in Cardano's history initiated entirely through the Voltaire on-chain governance framework — not by IOG unilaterally. DReps, the Constitutional Committee, and stake pool operators each had to independently clear their thresholds. The hard fork initiation action was submitted to mainnet on June 16. Ratification could happen as early as today (June 23), with enactment possible from June 28.
You can track live readiness on Cexplorer.
