Cardano’s highly anticipated Node 9.0.0 launched on July 8, paving the way for the transformative Chang hard fork. This major release includes changes needed for the Conway ledger era, such as on-chain governance via CIP-1694 and support for Plutus scripts.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson emphasized Node 9.0.0’s importance in a video, stating it prepares the network for significant structural changes. Stake Pool Operators need to test and upgrade the node for the Chang hard fork to proceed.
The Chang hard fork aims to transfer project ownership to the community, introducing Delegate Representatives (DReps) and on-chain voting. This move is expected to make Cardano the most scalable ecosystem in the next 24 months, with governance as its key feature.
Data shows exchanges and stake pools are not yet ready for the hard fork, but the upgrade is crucial for Cardano’s long-term self-sustainability and decentralization.
