Crypto: Cardano’s Next Hard Fork Takes Shape With Three Major Upgrades

Intersect unveiled the first steps of Cardano’s Dijkstra hard fork, which will deploy three innovations: Nested Transactions, Linear Leios, and Peras. The Ouroboros Leios protocol, cornerstone of this update, promises to improve the network’s throughput and finality. The roadmap foresees deployment of the first two phases by the end of 2026.

In Brief

• The Dijkstra hard fork will introduce three innovations: Nested Transactions, Linear Leios, and Peras, with a progressive deployment starting in 2026.
• The van Rossem intra-era hard fork, effective since July 18, laid the technical foundations for this transition.
• The network’s on-chain governance activates with a vote on a new parameter, the election of the Constitutional Committee, and the CAP portal in alpha.

The Dijkstra Era Takes Shape After Cardano’s van Rossem Hard Fork

On July 18, Cardano activated the van Rossem intra-era hard fork, upgrading the protocol to version 11. This update improved Plutus performance, strengthened ledger consistency, and node security.

However, the main event is yet to come: this hard fork has indeed prepared the ground for the Dijkstra era, the next major step in Cardano’s technical roadmap. In its weekly report, Intersect (the member organization coordinating the ecosystem development) confirmed that planning for the Dijkstra era is now underway, with a process aimed at involving the community in defining the scope of future forks. 

This transition continues the on-chain governance model Cardano inaugurated with its first hard fork entirely driven by ADA holders.

The initial deployment of the Dijkstra era will be carried out in several phases, each bringing key innovation. The first will introduce Nested Transactions, a mechanism that allows nesting transactions within each other to optimize resource management and reduce network load. Next comes Linear Leios, a linear version of the Ouroboros Leios protocol which is at the heart of Cardano’s scaling. 

This next-generation consensus protocol aims to significantly increase network throughput while maintaining the security and decentralization that Cardano is known for. Finally, Peras will enhance transaction finality by speeding up the time required for a transaction to be considered irreversible. 

The Haskell Node team is currently working to deliver the first two phases (Nested Transactions and Linear Leios) on the mainnet by the end of 2026, as reported by U.Today.

On-Chain Governance and Debate Over the Next Hard Fork’s Name

Meanwhile, Cardano governance is active on several fronts. A parameter update action has been opened for voting, the election of the Constitutional Committee is now on-chain, and the Constitutional Amendment Portal (CAP) has been launched in alpha for community testing.

These mechanisms illustrate the rise of decentralized governance, where each ADA holder can participate in protocol decisions. Regarding naming, a working group proposed naming the next hard fork after Alexander Esgen, while an on-chain action suggests the name Fabian von Bergen. The community is invited to provide feedback.

In short, Cardano is reaching a decisive new stage in its roadmap with the Dijkstra era, whose three technical pillars (Nested Transactions, Linear Leios, and Peras) outline a faster, more scalable, and smoother network for users. The convergence of protocol scaling, activation of on-chain governance levers, and progressive deployment of innovations by the end of 2026 creates a rare dynamic in the project’s history. 

Cardano has never been closer to the technical vision that Edmond Dijkstra, the renowned computer scientist, could have inspired: a network where security and performance become one.