As a researcher with years of immersion in the ever-evolving world of blockchain technology, I have witnessed the birth and growth of countless projects, each promising to revolutionize the digital landscape. However, few have captured my attention quite like Cardano, primarily due to its intriguing history and ambitious goals. The recent activation of the Chang upgrade marks a significant milestone in Cardano’s journey towards true decentralization, and I find myself both excited and intrigued by this development.


On Sunday, the layer-1 blockchain known as Cardano, established in 2017 by Ethereum co-creator Charles Hoskinson, activated its eagerly awaited “Chang” update. This significant step signifies Cardano’s transition towards a more decentralized governance structure, which was previously planned for the ecosystem.

Now that the Chang update has been activated, ADA token owners can actively participate in determining Cardano’s direction by choosing governance delegates and casting votes on development plans.

The proposal CIP-1694, a formal Cardano development plan, outlines a fresh community governance framework with three user-led bodies: the Constitutional Committee, Delegate Representatives (dReps), and Stake Pool Operators (SPOs). From now on, the initial trio of Cardano entities – the Cardano Foundation, Input Output Global (IOHK), and Emurgo – will no longer possess control over activating chain updates or “hard forks.” Instead, this power is shifted to the newly formed governance groups.

Cardano, like other recent crypto initiatives, is moving towards a more distributed governance model. This shift aligns Cardano more closely with the decentralized philosophy prevalent in the blockchain sector. Additionally, these changes could be seen as a means to enhance the functionality of ADA, potentially helping it pass regulatory scrutiny.

Although DeFiLlama ranks Cardano as the 28th largest blockchain, it has managed to garner significant attention within the cryptocurrency realm due in part to Hoskinson’s charismatic persona and his tendency to speak candidly. Initially, Hoskinson worked on Ethereum’s blockchain alongside co-founders like Vitalik Buterin in 2014; however, he soon departed from that project to establish the competing Cardano platform instead.

In the development of any blockchain, major upgrades known as hard forks play a crucial role, making previous versions inoperable. The Chang hard fork follows this pattern, taking place over two stages during its implementation.

The initial stage, which is currently active, establishes an Interim Constitutional Committee for temporary control over Cardano’s administration. This phase is carefully designed to restrict the committee’s ability to modify the blockchain’s code as the broader governance structure for Cardano is being developed.

In approximately 90 days, the second stage is anticipated to occur, granting complete authority to the newly established governing bodies. As stated by Giorgio Zinetti, Chief Technology Officer of the Cardano Foundation during his interview with CoinDesk, this will enable everyone to become fully engaged in governance once they are familiarized and onboard with the necessary information.

This update represents a crucial step in Cardano’s plan, signaling the start of the Voltaire phase – a time dedicated to realizing complete decentralization, an objective that has been planned since the very beginning of Cardano.

Zinetti told CoinDesk that this is arguably the most significant milestone in Cardano’s history, setting us apart from numerous other chains. He believes that as the largest layer 1 with on-chain governance, we stand out, although there are smaller competitors like Tezos and Polkadot who also have on-chain governance. Nevertheless, if we were to rank the truly decentralized layer-1 networks, Cardano would likely be at the top.

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2024-09-02 01:10