Cardano Upgrades Smart Contract Development Tools, Boosting Performance and Governance

▲ Cardano (ADA)

Cardano (ADA) has made a bold move to maximize network performance ahead of its next-generation hard fork by rolling out a major update to Aiken, its smart contract development tool.

According to crypto media outlet U.Today on February 21, the Cardano ecosystem has officially released Aiken version 1.1.0, a smart contract language and toolkit, in preparation for the upgrade to protocol version 11. This release is expected to play a key role in enhancing the developer experience within the ecosystem and improving network execution efficiency ahead of the upcoming intra-era hard fork. Aiken is recognized as a tool that enables more concise and secure smart contract development on the Cardano blockchain.

The upcoming intra-era hard fork will improve the system’s internal logic without changing the existing ledger era, minimizing the overall upgrade burden across the ecosystem. The protocol version 11 upgrade focuses on significantly enhancing the performance of Plutus, Cardano’s smart contract platform, and introducing new cryptographic features to maximize the processing capacity of decentralized applications. Additional rules will also be implemented to strengthen node security and improve ledger consistency.

The Cardano community has proposed naming the hard fork the “van Rossem Hard Fork” in honor of the late governance representative van Rossem and has conducted a vote on the proposal. Stake pool operators and delegated representatives are currently exercising their voting rights on key protocol parameter updates, including changes to Plutus execution limits. These governance activities further solidify Cardano’s vision of a fully decentralized decision-making structure under the Voltaire era.

On the technical front, the release of Cardano node version 10.6.2 pre-release and version 10.7.0 has been announced, as the development team accelerates efforts to deliver hard fork functionalities to the community. The new node software includes hard fork features and will complete validation in the SanchoNet testing environment before being deployed to the mainnet. Through continuous technological advancements, the Cardano ecosystem aims to address scalability challenges and build infrastructure capable of supporting more enterprise-grade financial services.

With this upgrade, Cardano continues to evolve into a distinctive blockchain ecosystem by optimizing smart contract execution capabilities and realizing transparent on-chain governance. Developers and investors worldwide are closely watching the positive impact the next-generation hard fork may have on the network’s value and utility. Members of the Cardano ecosystem remain focused on strengthening its position as a global financial infrastructure through stable technological updates.

Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and we are not responsible for any investment losses incurred based on this content. The information provided should be interpreted for informational purposes only.