Charles Hoskinson, the mastermind behind the decentralized blockchain platform Cardano, is gearing up for a significant event in the Cardano ecosystem set to take place in June.
On June 9, Hoskinson made a groundbreaking announcement on X, revealing that Cardano’s upcoming Chang fork is on the horizon and that Cardano Node is poised to reach version 9.0 by the end of the month. This development signals that the Cardano blockchain is prepared for the upcoming hard fork, pending the installation of the new node by 70% of stake pool operators (SPO).
Hoskinson expressed his excitement for the upcoming hard fork, which will propel Cardano into the Age of Voltaire, the final era in Cardano’s roadmap. Each phase in Cardano’s development is named after renowned figures in poetry and computer science, such as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Joseph Goguen, Matsuo Bashō, and Voltaire.
The Chang hard fork is a pivotal moment in Cardano’s evolution, marking the introduction of community-driven governance through on-chain consensus and enabling ADA holders to participate in voting on proposals. Named in honor of Phil Chang, a respected figure in Cardano governance who passed away in 2022, the Chang upgrade is expected to pave the way for a decentralized civilization with millions of participants worldwide.
Hoskinson envisions Chang as a game-changer for Cardano, ushering in the most advanced blockchain governance system to date, complete with annual budgets, a treasury, and invaluable insights from the community. Despite the anticipation surrounding the hard fork, the ADA cryptocurrency has experienced a notable decline in 2024, dropping more than 26% from $0.60 to $0.44 as of the latest data from CoinGecko.
As Cardano braces for the Chang hard fork amid market fluctuations, the platform remains focused on achieving its vision of a decentralized future powered by innovative blockchain technology.