Cardano Network Pushes Toward Next Major Dijkstra Era Upgrade

Van Rossem Governance Action Submitted on Mainnet

Cardano ($ADA) has submitted the van Rossem hard fork initiation governance action on mainnet, marking a significant step in the network's development roadmap. Van Rossem is an intra-era hard fork that introduces new features and lays the foundation for the next major era, Dijkstra, which will ultimately bring Leios to the Cardano mainnet.

The upgrade is not an era change. It is an intra-era hard fork, which means it can add improvements while keeping Cardano inside the current era, reducing disruption for wallets, exchanges, stake pool operators, and decentralised applications.

Protocol Version 11 changes protocol capabilities and governance parameters without launching an entirely new ledger era. The upgrade also expands Plutus compatibility across all three versions (V1, V2, and V3) and reduces smart contract execution costs.

Governance Process and What Comes Next

This is the first hard fork in Cardano's history initiated through the Voltaire on-chain governance framework rather than by IOG acting unilaterally. Under Voltaire, DReps (Delegated Representatives) hold voting power proportional to the ADA stake delegated to them, and the Constitutional Committee must ratify governance actions before they reach mainnet.

Progress toward the van Rossem hard fork has been continuing across the Preview and Preprod test networks throughout May and June 2026. DReps and Constitutional Committee members ratified the Plutus Cost Model update on June 13, with enactment scheduled for June 18, 2026.

Following the submission of the van Rossem hard fork initiation governance action on mainnet, potential ratification dates are given as June 23, 28, or July 3, 8, 13, or 18.

The upgrade also carries personal significance for the Cardano community. Max van Rossem was a Cardano governance contributor who passed away on January 11, 2026. His son, Max Louis Hans van Rossem, was born the same day. The naming was not ceremonial. In January and February 2026, Intersect ran an on-chain DRep naming vote for Protocol Version 11, with support exceeding 80% of active DRep stake, making it one of the most decisive governance votes the network has recorded.

Cardano Hits Major Milestone on Road to Dijkstra Era (CryptoNews) | Cardano van Rossem hard fork reaches mainnet governance (Crypto.news) | Cardano upgrade: van Rossem hard fork (Intersect)