Woofun AI reports that Cardano activated the Van Rossem hard fork at 21:44:51 UTC on July 18, 2026, upgrading the network to protocol version 11 without downtime. This Conway-era upgrade reduces Plutus smart contract operational costs, enhances ledger security, and introduces new cryptographic tools. The update incorporates five Cardano Improvement Proposals, including BLS12-381 multi-scalar multiplication, on-chain array types, multi-asset value processing optimization, list operation acceleration, and built-in modular exponentiation.

Additionally, staking pools are now required to hold unique Verifiable Random Function keys tied to their identities, prohibiting key reuse across the network.

The transition was executed through Cardano's on-chain governance process, featuring proposal submission and activation via on-chain voting. Delegated representatives approved the measure with a 77.63% vote, while staking pool operators recorded a 52.7% approval rate. The Constitutional Committee voted 6-0-0-1 in favor. Wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA have reached their highest balance since 2023, controlling over a quarter of the circulating supply. Cardano plans to advance Ouroboros Leios next, targeting over 1,000 transactions per second during 2026 testing.