Key Highlights
- The Van Rossem hard fork launched on Cardano July 18, transitioning the network to Protocol Version 11
- This marks Cardano’s first upgrade ratified through community governance rather than by founder Input Output
- The network enhancement reduces smart contract costs and introduces additional Plutus built-in capabilities
- ADA trades around $0.1663, posting gains of about 1.2% in the past day since the upgrade deployed
- Large holders controlling 100Kā100M ADA tokens have amassed more than 25.6 billion coins, reaching levels not seen since early 2023
The Cardano blockchain successfully deployed its Van Rossem hard fork on July 18, transitioning the protocol to Version 11. The network upgrade became operational at 21:44 UTC, experiencing just a brief ten-minute interruption in block production without affecting user operations.
This upgrade represents a watershed moment for Cardanoāthe first protocol modification not orchestrated by Input Output, the founding organization behind the blockchain. The entire process, from initial proposal through debate to final approval, occurred through Cardano’s decentralized governance framework established during the Voltaire phase.
. @Cardano‘s Van Rossum hard fork is now live! šØ
The upgrade brings lower smart contract costs and introduces fully onchain community governance.
A big step forward for the Cardano ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/XbVs46KNfL
ā CryptoBusy (@CryptoBusy) July 20, 2026
The delegated representative community endorsed the upgrade with 78.97% support, significantly exceeding the required 60% approval threshold. Constitutional committee members provided unanimous backing. Stake pool operators approved the measure more narrowly at 53.02%.
Prior to implementation, a minimum of 85% of stake pools required compatible software versions. Network metrics indicated approximately 93% of blocks were already being produced on version 11 before official activation.
DRep Jason Appleton highlighted the governance achievement on X, stating: “The best part: it was ratified on-chain by delegated community reps before activation. Upgrades by governance, not decree.” This represents a fundamental transformation in Cardano’s development approachātoken holders now exercise direct voting power on protocol modifications instead of accepting top-down decisions.
Technical Modifications in Version 11
From a technical perspective, version 11 constitutes an intra-era enhancement. It operates within the existing Conway governance structure without altering transaction architecture, minimizing upgrade requirements across the broader ecosystem.
The enhancement standardizes Plutus built-in functions across all three platform versions, granting legacy applications access to more recent capabilities. It also strengthens ledger validation protocols, including a safeguard that prevents multiple stake pools from utilizing identical cryptographic identity keys.
Regular ADA holders will experience no visible changes. Wallet software requires no updates, standard transaction fees remain constant, and transaction processing functions identically.
Foundation for Future Scaling Enhancement
The Van Rossem upgrade also establishes essential infrastructure for the upcoming Dijkstra era hard fork, which will deploy Ouroboros Leiosāa scaling architecture designed to dramatically boost transaction throughput while maintaining security guarantees. This major enhancement is projected for deployment sometime in 2026.
Cryptocurrency analyst Sssebi observed on X that ADA recently closed above its 50-day moving average, characterizing the technical picture as “looking bullish right now.” The analyst suggested a rally toward the $0.20 zone is “highly likely” provided the current support level holds.
$ADA closed the day above the 50day MA and is looking bullish right now.
It has to stay above that line now and start setting higher highs.
A pump to the $0.20 area is highly likely. pic.twitter.com/11sIkNCYn5
ā Sssebiš¦ (@Sssebi) July 21, 2026
ADA is presently trading around $0.1663, registering approximately 1.2% gains over the past 24 hours. Major wallet addresses holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA have accumulated in excess of 25.6 billion tokens, marking their largest holdings since February 2023.
Input Output plans to transfer control of critical infrastructure components, including the Plutus development platform and Daedalus wallet application, to independent organizations beginning in August.
Get 3 Free Stock Ebooks
Discover top-performing stocks in AI, Crypto, and Technology with expert analysis.
- Top 10 AI Stocks - Leading AI companies
- Top 10 Crypto Stocks - Blockchain leaders
- Top 10 Tech Stocks - Tech giants
