Input Output launched the Leios 24/7 development tracker, providing real-time, global visibility into the Ouroboros Leios consensus protocol. The tool showcases key milestones, active workstreams, and contributions, highlighting a "follow-the-sun" engineering model. This initiative reinforces transparency and accountability as the project transitions from research to implementation.

Intersect published "Facts at a Glance" regarding the November 21 incident. A malformed transaction exploited a deserialization bug, causing a temporary chain partition while the network remained online and funds were safe. A coordinated response, including upgrades to node v10.5.2/v10.5.3, successfully restored full convergence within 14.5 hours.

The November 21 incident involved a mainnet chain partition caused by a malformed transaction, which was resolved with the hotfix node v.10.5.3. The ledger team defined sub-transactions for the Dijkstra era, while the Plutus team finalized costing for Value primitives for the upcoming hard fork. Lace v.1.31 was released with in-wallet token swaps and Bitcoin wallet support, and Mithril completed the first phase of decentralizing configuration parameters.

A new proposal for an intra-era hard fork to Protocol Version 11 has been introduced, building on recently completed work for the core Haskell node. To manage the transition, a Hard Fork Working Group (HFWG) is being formed to coordinate ecosystem feedback, conduct impact assessments, and handle communication. A virtual session will be held to discuss the upgrade's impact and the traditional naming of the hard fork before any formal governance actions are raised.

Intersect has launched a Bug Bounty Program to reinforce the security of the Cardano open-source ecosystem. This initiative invites ethical hackers to identify and report vulnerabilities in critical repositories, offering rewards for valid findings. By crowdsourcing security research, Intersect aims to proactively discover potential issues, ensuring the network's resilience and stability while fostering a collaborative approach to maintaining Cardano's core infrastructure.

The consensus team addressed 'bufferbloat' issues and enhanced resource management following the Leios demo. Scaling updates include Mithril hotfix 2543.1 and Hydra's introduction of the 'SafeClose' safety feature alongside improved partial fanout. Intersect announced its election results following a high voter turnout, while Project Catalyst Fund15 launched with a new "Midnight: Compact DApps" category. Additionally, the education team is currently conducting a developer course in Buenos Aires.

The Plutus team hosted UPLC 2025 and introduced the scaleValue primitive for the upcoming hard fork. Scaling advancements include the Mithril 2543.0 distribution and the Hydra v1.1.0 release, while Intersect concluded its committee election voting. Additionally, the Ouroboros Phalanx upgrade was introduced alongside a new Compact DApps category for Project Catalyst Fund15.

In a blog post, Intersect's Growth and Marketing Committee shared key findings from their first community-wide marketing survey. The results highlight a strong demand for unified messaging and increased support for developers and founders. Respondents prioritized DeFi and real-world use cases, advocating for treasury-backed liquidity programs. While grassroots efforts are effective, there is a clear call for better storytelling tools and a cohesive long-term vision to guide Cardano's growth.

The Hydra team announced the launch of v1, marking the protocol as production-ready. The ledger team finalized CIP-118, introducing nested transactions and Babel fees, while IOG published a deep dive on Ouroboros Phalanx to deter grinding attacks. Additionally, the consensus team showcased a Leios prototype, Intersect committee elections are currently underway, and Project Catalyst Fund15 is preparing for its official launch.

The Hydra protocol has reached v1 and is now production-ready. This scaling solution enables high-throughput, low-latency applications by processing transactions off-chain in 'Heads' while retaining layer 1 security. Validated by Midnight’s Glacier Drop, this release delivers a feature-complete protocol, a stable API, and interoperability improvements.