Cardano News

The ledger team reached a major milestone by releasing all packages for cardano-node v.10.7, preparing for the intra-era hard fork to protocol version 11. Mithril advanced its SNARK circuit refactoring and published a blog on mainnet protocol changes. Meanwhile, Hydra version 1.3.0 was released, featuring progress on partial fanouts and fixes for high transaction loads. The team is now focusing on the upcoming Dijkstra era.

This session explores the Net Change Limit (NCL) and its role in Cardano’s treasury sustainability. Participants discussed constitutional interpretations regarding fund approval and the role of the Constitutional Committee, focusing on clarifying governance rules to ensure responsible spending and transparency within the ecosystem.

Programmable Tokens and the CIP-0113 standard are live, allowing customizable on-chain rules for native assets. Cardano.org has added Spanish support, and the Summit Rio 2025 highlighted the value of IRL collaboration. FluidTokens introduced gold-backed lending, while the new SuperNode tool simplifies deployment for SPOs and partner chains.

Binance listed the NIGHT token, and the Sandstone team released Torsten, a new Cardano node written in Rust. The consensus team progressed on the Ouroboros Leios prototype and updated the node-to-client protocol to version 23. Lace is preparing for the Midnight mainnet launch, while Mithril continues implementing succinct proofs (SNARKs). Additionally, Intersect announced that committee election applications will open on March 30.

The Programmable Tokens Platform and open-source CIP-0113 standard allow tokenized assets to incorporate customizable on-chain compliance rules directly into the Cardano ledger. Built using Aiken, this modular framework supports scaling regulated equities, commodities, and stablecoins while maintaining native asset efficiency. It provides issuers the flexibility to enforce rules, such as transfer restrictions or asset freezes, automatically through smart contracts.

Payments in 137 SPAR stores across Switzerland now support ada, highlighting significant real-world adoption. The ledger team advanced nested transactions and performance restructuring, while the Lace wallet integrated Midnight mainnet support and the LaceID identity feature. Furthermore, the Mithril team completed signer authentication for SNARK verification keys. Research breakthroughs also established formal models for geographic diversity and Sybil-proofness in decentralized restaking networks.

Customers in Switzerland can now pay with ada at 137 SPAR stores, marking a significant milestone for real-world retail adoption. This integration, powered by DFX.swiss and the Open Crypto Pay standard, enables direct payments from native wallets without centralized intermediaries. By bypassing traditional payment providers, retailers benefit from transaction fees reduced by nearly two-thirds, demonstrating the practical economic value of the Cardano network in everyday life.

A structured framework for the 2026 budget cycle proposes aligning treasury spending with Cardano Vision 2030 and measurable ecosystem KPIs. This Info Action asks DReps to validate a process featuring standardized templates and a minimum proposal size of 100,000 ada. The framework aims to ensure treasury resources are deployed responsibly while maintaining the long-term economic sustainability and transparency of the network.

Applications for the 2026 Intersect committee elections officially open March 30, inviting paid members to help steer technical and budgetary oversight. Candidates have until April 17 to step up. This year introduces a 500 ada monthly service reward and sharper transparency for voters. It’s a prime opportunity to bring diverse global voices into the room where Cardano’s substantive governance decisions are made.

Cardano Summit 2025 surpassed major KPIs, hosting 1,460 in-person attendees in Berlin and 26,000 global online viewers. High-level engagement from enterprises like Volvo and Mastercard underscored the network's increasing institutional appeal. As the first flagship event funded entirely by the treasury, it showcased the ecosystem's decentralized maturity. With the 2025 journey concluded, preparations are already in motion for the 2026 Summit in Singapore.