Cardano Activates Van Rossem Hard Fork, On-Chain Governance Now Live

The Cardano network has activated its Van Rossem hard fork, marking the first fully on-chain-governed upgrade in its roadmap. This change will now rely on an onchain voting system for governance decisions, replacing reliance solely on core developers.

According to IOG, this is version 11 of the protocol, and it's a significant milestone for the ecosystem.

The Van Rossem hard fork does not require users to take any action. Existing wallets, staking positions, and dApps will continue working as before.

In related news, Cardano has joined the x402 Foundation, connecting the network with a group focused on payment standards across blockchains. This could lead to more visibility for the blockchain and open doors for developers building cross-chain payment tools.