Cardano Activates Van Rossem Hard Fork via Onchain Governance, Upgrades to Protocol Version 11

Cardano activated its van Rossem hard fork on July 18, 2026, completing the network's first protocol upgrade whose approval and execution were determined entirely through decentralized onchain governance. The upgrade moved the blockchain to Protocol Version 11 at 21:44:51 UTC at epoch 644, while remaining within the Conway ledger era as an "intra-era" hard fork.

The hard-fork action was ratified on July 13 after receiving 77.63% support from delegated representatives (DReps), above the required 60% threshold. Stake pool operators provided 52.7% support, clearing the 51% requirement, while the Constitutional Committee voted six members affirmed the action was constitutional. Van Rossem introduces targeted improvements to Plutus smart-contract capabilities, including expanded built-in functions, more efficient case expressions, and cryptographic enhancements via BLS12-381 operations.