Cardano News

Over the past few weeks, the SRE team deployed cardano-node v.8.9.0 across all environments and created a new profile-cardano-db-sync-snapshots nixosModule. The consensus team merged an alternative fs-api interface, implemented a new diffusion pipelining criterion, and released consensus packages for node v.8.9.1. The Plutus team optimized UPLC and improved documentation. The Hydra team aligned the specification with the incremental de-commit implementation, updated to cardano-api v.8.40, and tested against cardano-node v.8.9.0. The Mithril team focused on transaction certification, UI improvements, metadata provision, and low-latency transaction signing. SanchoNet resources were updated with compatible components. Project Catalyst shared results from the first non-funding vote and announced Fund12’s launch in Barcelona at the end of April. The education team resumed the Cardano Developer Course and supported Voltaire’s constitutional committee training plans.

The Cardano Summit 2024 will be held in Dubai, UAE, from October 23-24, aiming to connect global blockchain enthusiasts and foster innovation. Cardano node version 8.9.0 has been released, introducing Genesis Lite and addressing the "Blocks from the Future" issue. The "Spotlight on Stake Pools" series features ABLE, led by Mike Hornan, highlighting its educational initiatives and contributions. Other news includes CEO Frederik Gregaard's reflections on 2023, a governance event in Tokyo, the Cardano Foundation's redesigned website, insights from the Aiken Team, and a Cardano Hackathon in Berlin on July 26-27.

The DRep Pioneer Workshop Leaders Program, launched by Intersect, educates the Cardano community about decentralized governance as outlined in CIP-1694. This program, part of the Chang upgrade, trains Delegated Representatives (DReps) to participate in Cardano’s liquid democracy. Selected leaders from diverse regions will deliver training, fostering informed decision-making. This initiative supports Cardano’s transition into the ‘Voltaire’ era, emphasizing community-driven governance.

This week, the core technology teams released node v.8.9.0, introducing Genesis Lite bootstrap peers and fixing a dynamic block forging bug. The Lace team started closed beta testing for DApp discovery. The Plutus team added Plutus contract blueprints in the 1.23.0.0 release. The Hydra team worked on the cardano-api-classy library, improved Hydra Head explorer UI, error reporting, and refactored protocol logic. The Mithril team certified Cardano transactions, improved the Mithril explorer UI, and optimized communications between Mithril and Cardano nodes. The ledger team focused on Conway functionality, testing, and code cleanup. Catalyst held a non-funding vote for Fund12’s launch location and conducted a retrospective on Fund11. The education team wrote content for Mastering Cardano and updated the Cardano Developer Course.

Reflecting on 2023, the Cardano Foundation has achieved significant milestones. At the Cardano Summit 2023, the importance of public trust was emphasized. The Foundation enhanced operational resilience through continuous network monitoring and collaboration with exchanges, contributing to network health. Educational initiatives included the Cardano Explorer and Academy. Adoption efforts showcased blockchain’s broader uses, such as in the Georgian wine industry. The Foundation developed tools like the Identity Wallet and Ledger Sync to drive adoption. Looking ahead, Cardano aims to strengthen trust and stability in blockchain infrastructure.

The Cardano Foundation has announced that the Cardano Summit 2024 will be held in Dubai, UAE from 23 to 24 October. The Summit aims to foster connections and drive the use of blockchain technology into new frontiers, offering attendees opportunities to learn from experts, establish relationships, and find inspiration in how blockchain can solve real-world problems. Dubai’s reputation as a leading crypto hub makes it an ideal location for the event, building on the success of last year’s Summit. The 2023 edition saw over 10,000 attendees and 27 community events worldwide. Cardano Foundation CEO, Frederik Gregaard, highlighted the growing adoption of blockchain across various sectors and expressed excitement for hosting the Summit in Dubai again. Attendees can register their interest and learn more about the event’s agenda, speakers, and activities.

This week, the networking team published several packages, including ouroboros-network-0.12.0.0, and fixed syncing in bootstrap mode. The consensus team updated production libraries for UTXO-HD, measured sync times, fixed a snapshot interval bug, and added UTXO size analysis. The Plutus team advanced CIP-57 implementation for contract blueprints. The Hydra team prepared for the Conway switch, added a UI to the Hydra explorer, and made off-chain protocol changes. The Mithril team worked on transaction certification, improved the explorer, and implemented Prometheus monitoring. The SanchoNet team updated documentation. Catalyst continued onboarding Fund11 projects and began retrospective discussions for Fund12. The education team updated the Haskell Bootcamp and Cardano Developer courses.

On March 1, 2024, at 15:13:47 CET, Cardano celebrated its 10 millionth block, minted by JAPAN4 pool. This milestone highlights the community's dedication since Shelley in 2020. The Edinburgh Decentralization Index (EDI) released dashboards showing Cardano's superior decentralization, with a Nakamoto coefficient of 58, compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum's 2. The Japanese Cardano community hosted a successful booth at Japan Web 3 Week Tokyo, with future events planned. Other news includes Rejuve’s decentralized aging research, IOG's new stablecoin XSY, CIP-1694 governance feature testing on SanchoNet, and Cryptoheadz's Cardano introduction event in California.

Cardano wallets, essential for blockchain interaction, range from hot wallets for convenience, cold storage for security, to full node wallets for transaction validation. Hot wallets like Nami, Typhon, Eternl, VESPR, and Lace offer various features. Cold storage options Ledger, Trezor, and Keystone provide offline security. The full node wallet Daedalus ensures maximum security by validating transactions locally. Each type caters to different user needs.

This week, the ledger team added reference script support for Plutus V1 in Conway, addressed stake distribution inaccuracies, and improved tooling and tests. The Plutus team began implementing the contract blueprint for Plutus Tx and updated the quick start guide to recommend the IOGX Nix flake template. The Hydra team resolved the fanout bug, optimized fee estimation, and implemented transaction metadata. The Mithril team released distribution 2408.0 with significant updates, including improved stake distribution support, and continued developing transaction certification data types. The SanchoNet team launched a patch release, fixed BLS12-381 primitives issues, and brought the GovTool online with limited wallet support. Project Catalyst is onboarding 300 approved projects, emphasizing the Statement of Milestones for accountability, and preparing for a special voting event to decide Fund12's launch location. The education team updated advanced lessons in the Haskell Bootcamp course and practical scenarios in the Cardano Developer Course.