Woofun AI reports that the Cardano network activated the Van Rossem hard fork on July 18, upgrading the mainnet to Protocol Version 11. This transition represents the first protocol update autonomously approved by network participants rather than directed by the founding team. The upgrade was finalized after receiving consensus from key governance bodies: Delegated Representatives (DReps) approved the proposal with a 78.97% support rate, exceeding the 60% threshold; all seven Constitutional Committee members confirmed compliance; and stake pool operators approved with 53.02% support.

The Van Rossem upgrade optimizes the Plutus smart contract platform, reduces execution costs, and enhances ledger validation rules. It lays the groundwork for the future Dijkstra-era hard fork and the Ouroboros Leios scaling solution, expected in 2026. For end-users, no wallet updates are required, and transfer mechanics remain unchanged.

However, the technical improvements aim to lower operational costs for decentralized applications, reinforcing the shift toward community-led network evolution.