- Cardano V11 Van Rossem is now live on the Preview testnet under Protocol Version 11.
- PreProd has advanced further in the rollout process but still awaits final ratification approval.
- The Cardano mainnet governance vote for the V11 hard fork remains targeted around May 29.
Cardano’s V11 Van Rossem upgrade has officially gone live on the Preview testnet, marking another important milestone in the network’s broader hard fork roadmap. The Preview environment is now operating under Protocol Version 11 following the governance action originally submitted back on May 5 and enacted a few days later on May 8. While this stage only impacts the testnet for now, it moves Cardano one step closer toward the anticipated mainnet governance vote currently targeted around May 29.
The V11 upgrade is part of Cardano’s ongoing effort to improve scalability, developer efficiency, and infrastructure security across the ecosystem. According to the development updates, the new version aims to make smart contracts faster and cheaper to execute while also introducing stronger cryptographic features and tighter protections for stake pool operations. Developers and infrastructure providers throughout the ecosystem are now being encouraged to align tooling and services with the upgraded framework before the rollout advances further.
Cardano Infrastructure Teams Begin Preparing for V11
One of the key pieces of the rollout involves cardano-node v11.0.1, which is currently the required node version capable of operating across the hard fork boundary and supporting Protocol Version 11 afterward. Stake pool operators and infrastructure teams have already been asked to begin upgrading systems to that release as preparation continues across testnet environments.
At the same time, DB-Sync v13.7.0.5 has also been approved for use across all Cardano networks. That matters quite a bit for downstream services and applications that rely on indexed blockchain data because DB-Sync helps external tools stay compatible during major network upgrades. These kinds of backend adjustments rarely generate headlines outside developer circles, but honestly they’re critical for maintaining stability during transitions like this.
The broader V11 program appears heavily focused on staged deployment rather than rushing toward mainnet activation prematurely. Each environment is moving through separate testing, readiness checks, and governance approvals before the final rollout happens.
PreProd Moves Forward But Still Awaits Ratification
Cardano’s PreProd environment has also advanced deeper into the process, although not without a few delays still hanging over the upgrade path. The Plutus Cost Model update for PreProd was officially enacted on May 16 at 00:00 UTC, and the network’s hard fork general availability status is now live on-chain. Even so, the final ratification stage hasn’t happened yet.
The Hard Fork Working Group has reportedly delayed full recommendation approval due to ecosystem readiness concerns tied primarily to Ogmios, which developers currently treat as a critical infrastructure dependency. Teams from the community alongside Input Output engineers are actively working through pull requests and fixes aimed at resolving those remaining concerns before the next stage proceeds.
Developers have also been advised to thoroughly test applications against the updated Plutus Cost Model settings because several parameter values increased under the latest changes. That testing phase is expected to continue before the rollout moves any closer toward final mainnet execution.
Mainnet Governance Vote Still Targets May 29
For now, the broader timeline still points toward May 29 as the target date for Cardano’s mainnet hard fork governance action. However, that schedule remains conditional on successful testnet progress, PreProd ratification, and overall ecosystem readiness. In other words, the timeline is still moving forward, but only if the remaining checkpoints clear properly.
The Hard Fork Working Group continues holding coordination meetings twice weekly as teams track integration work, infrastructure upgrades, and testing progress across the ecosystem. Those meetings have effectively become the operational hub for the V11 rollout process while network participants prepare for the final governance stage.
At this stage, Preview has already transitioned to Protocol Version 11, PreProd sits ready on-chain awaiting ratification, and mainnet preparations continue building behind the scenes. The process may look gradual from the outside, but Cardano’s upgrade strategy clearly prioritizes layered testing and ecosystem coordination before major protocol changes officially hit the live network.
