How a Cardano Hard Fork Works

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The question that kept confusing me while studying Cardano was why every upgrade takes so long. The answer is simple: a Cardano upgrade isn’t decided by a team — it’s voted in by the whole network. The van Rossem hard fork (Protocol Version 11), which wrapped up in 2026, is a living example. This post breaks down its voting mechanism: how each of the three parties votes, what each one is responsible for, and how a hard fork runs its full course.

Slow Is Fast: Why Cardano's Governance Is So Careful

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

This post answers the question I kept asking myself while studying Cardano: why are its upgrades so slow? The answer isn’t technology — it’s governance. Every change to the core has to pass a long on-chain process. And that’s exactly the peak of Cardano’s “slow” philosophy.

First, decide what chain it wants to be

Cardano has never hidden its positioning: a settlement layer. It doesn’t want to be the “do-everything platform.” It wants to be the foundation that carries large, long-term, trustworthy transfers of value.

CIP-1694 on Time Friend

How a Cardano Hard Fork Works

Slow Is Fast: Why Cardano's Governance Is So Careful

First, decide what chain it wants to be