Cardano News

Hello, we’re pleased to announce the launch of the Cardano Academy. The first certified course, Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate (CBCA) Course, is now available. Enhance your blockchain knowledge with educational materials and gamified learning. Start for free with flexible, on-the-go access.

Since October 2023, the Hydra project has seen significant developments. The release of version 0.14.0 is imminent, focusing on stateless chain observation and internal refactoring. The roadmap was updated to clarify support for the upcoming Conway hard fork and drop Babbage support, while substantial progress was made on the design of the incremental decommit feature. Collaboration with the MeshJS team led to the integration of Hydra-specific features in their SDK. The Hydra specification is being migrated to Markdown for easier accessibility. Community contributions include SundaeLabs' offline mode PR and TxPipe's Cardaminal wallet, aiming for Hydra compatibility.

In today's interview, Lloyd Duhon, Chief Operations Officer at Mainstreet, provides a deep dive into the platform's unique use case, development outlook for the next 12 months, and tantalizing glimpses of their exciting roadmap. As the COO, Lloyd plays a pivotal role in establishing and optimizing Mainstreet's operational foundations, thereby contributing significantly to the platform's growth and advancement in the rapidly evolving peer-to-peer commerce landscape.

Mainstreet strategically positions itself among industry leaders like Paypal and Stripe, showcasing an innovative and competitive edge. The platform sets itself apart by delivering a swifter and more user-friendly interface, effectively tackling the challenges associated with cryptocurrencies. This commitment ensures a seamless experience for both consumers and business owners. As we explore further into Mainstreet's narrative, it becomes evident that they are not just keeping pace with industry standards but actively redefining them. Let's dive right into the exciting world of Mainstreet!

Since September 2023, the Hydra project has achieved several milestones, including the release of version 0.13.0, which focused on security fixes, inline datums support, improved stability, and state persistence. The project roadmap was updated for version 0.14.0. Key developments include enhancing network resilience, creating a Hydra Poll DApp for the Cardano Summit, and upgrading the toolchain to GHC 9.6 and Brick 1.10. Community contributions were highlighted, such as the Hypix project integrating CIP-68 NFTs, Kupo's integration with Hydra, and progress on offline mode for Hydra nodes. The Hydra-for-voting project was revived to improve on-chain voting processes.

Cardano's journey towards enhanced on-chain governance is marked by the introduction of SanchoNet, a platform designed to engage ada holders in the governance process through the Cardano Improvement Protocol (CIP) 1694. SanchoNet, launched in phases, allows participants to test and provide feedback on governance mechanisms, playing roles like test-ada holders, stake pool operators, and delegate representatives.

In today's interview, we'll explore the world of Lenfi, a decentralised protocol for lending and borrowing which operates without custodial control. Lenfi was built on the Cardano blockchain, and we have a special guest joining us, Mantas, the lead developer responsible for this exciting project. So, what exactly is Lenfi, and why did they choose Cardano as their platform? Read further to discover these answers and more.

Here's an interesting insight. Were you aware that Lenfi enables depositors to offer liquidity? You can deposit your funds with predetermined conditions or in any of the liquidity pools. Let's explore the depths of Lenfi's universe to grasp its tremendous potential.

Since August 2023, the Hydra project has made several important strides. The roadmap remained largely unchanged, focusing on clarifying upcoming features. Notable updates include completing support for inline datums in the commit API and making progress on network resilience, particularly in handling node crashes and disconnections. The work on incremental commits and decommits has been split into two features, with ongoing design discussions. A workshop in Nantes, France, brought together the Hydra and Mithril teams, where they explored topics like Aiken validator experiments and the concept of a "Shallow cardano-node" using Mithril to streamline Hydra node operations. Additionally, the team worked on refactoring the chain state to improve storage efficiency and maintain backward compatibility.

Meet AdaStat, a cutting-edge Cardano (ADA) Blockchain Explorer, crafted by active members of the Russian-speaking Cardano community. It's your independent alternative to standard network-developed explorers. With AdaStat, you can effortlessly explore blocks, transactions, pools, addresses, accounts, epochs, and slots, including active epochs, created blocks, staking rewards, and more.

Some of AdaStat's unique features include a versatile Chart Maker for custom graphics and a robust pool filter for refining pool searches based on parameters like pledge, delegators, and stake size. For deeper insights into this fascinating explorer, we highly recommend reading through interview with the project's co-founder and Lead Developer, Dmitry Stashenko.

The Cardano Foundation today announced the first round of speakers for its flagship annual event, Cardano Summit 2023, which will take place from 2 to 4 November, 2023, with the main stage at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This year's event will welcome representatives from a broad range of experts and leaders in the blockchain space.

The first-ever Cardano Summit Hackathon precedes the Summit’s main event and is already happening online. Final submissions close on 14 September 2023, with an expert panel from the Cardano Foundation and EMURGO judging each entry to decide which participants will take home the top prize—USD $10,000, plus a $5,000 travel and accommodation allowance for attending the Summit in Dubai. Read more