Cardano News

Cardano node v.10.1.4 has been released, featuring mempool safeguards in preparation for the Plomin hard fork. The consensus team improved time management and block-fetch synchronization, while Plutus Core is finalizing the data-backed ScriptContext API to enhance script performance. Hydra has advanced incremental commits and explorer support, and Mithril released distribution 2450.0 to support node v.10.1.3.

Cardano's EUTXO model provides six key benefits over account-based systems: predictable transactions, ensuring no fees for failed transactions; predictable costs, allowing accurate calculation of fees and resources; enhanced concurrency for simultaneous transaction processing; improved security through determinism and reduced attack vectors; flexibility for innovative decentralized applications; and compatibility with zero-knowledge proofs, enabling complex off-chain computations with verifiable on-chain results. These advantages make EUTXO a scalable, secure, and versatile framework for blockchain applications. For more, read the full article.

The January 6, 2025, Cardano Community Digest calls on SPOs to vote on the Plomin Hard Fork, which introduces Protocol Version 10 for governance and technical upgrades. With 83.13% of staked ada yet to vote, 51% participation is needed. The Digest also spotlights LOGIC, a stake pool supporting projects like NEWM and Aiken, showcasing community and technical contributions.

Merkle Patricia Tries (MPTs) are advanced data structures that enhance blockchain efficiency and security by enabling rapid verification and modification of data entries. They combine the benefits of tries, Patricia tries, and Merkle trees to allow efficient addition, deletion, and verification of key-value pairs, ensuring data integrity. MPTs are fundamental in decentralized networks, supporting dynamic data storage and secure transaction processing.

The December 23, 2024, Digest highlights Catalyst Fund 13 results, with 2.5 billion ada funding 199 projects through 311,000 votes. Governance decentralization and community input were key discussion points. The Messari Q3 2024 report noted a 31.2% revenue decrease, a 13.3% increase in DeFi TVL to $231.6M, and a 145.5% rise in USDM’s market cap to $7.9M.

A Roundtable Talk on December 17, 2024, explored the role of large voters and DeFi protocols in Project Catalyst F13. The discussion featured insights on how major stakeholders like Minswap, Liqwid, and the Cardano Foundation evaluate and vote on proposals. It delved into the challenges and impact of stake-based governance and DeFi protocols borrowing voting power, examining the lessons shaping Cardano's one-ada-one-vote framework.

The December 13, 2024, development report concludes the year, with updates resuming January 10, 2025. The networking team, in collaboration with the Cardano Foundation, noted 98.4% of transactions are included within two blocks, showing minimal congestion. The consensus team advanced UTXO-HD and reviewed low participation handling. Daedalus v.7.0.2 launched, enabling users to delegate voting power to DReps or select automatic voting options, enhancing governance participation.

The December 11, 2024, Digest highlights a Roundtable Talk on Nested Transactions (CIP-0118) and a Developer Blog featuring DexHunter CEO Nikita Melentjevs discussing on-chain analytics. Fund13 voting concludes on December 12, 11 a.m. UTC, with tools like cgov.app and tempo.vote supporting governance participation. Additional insights cover liquid staking in Cardano and tips to recognize common scams.

The final day celebrated the signing of the Cardano constitution, a milestone in decentralized governance. The event featured a governance exhibition and media highlights. Delegates formalized the constitution, symbolizing Cardano’s commitment to transparent and inclusive decision-making. The day concluded with a sense of accomplishment, paving the way for a resilient and decentralized future.

The SRE team released Cardano node v.10.1.3 and DB Sync updates, improving mainnet bootstraps and dashboards. The ledger team fixed a bug in protocol version 10 and added a query for DRep voting stake distribution. Mithril advanced incremental certification and enhanced certificate verification. The Constitutional Convention in Buenos Aires and Nairobi ratified a new Cardano constitution. Catalyst Fund13 voting continues until December 12, with over 1.5 billion ada in voting power. The education team held Cardano Days sessions and demonstrated live node use with a mobile SPO learning lab.