Cardano Van Rossem Hard Fork Moves to Preview Testnet as ADA Eyes $0.26 Breakout

TLDR

• Cardano’s van Rossem hard fork has been submitted to the preview testnet.
• Cardano Node 11.0.1 Pre-Release is required to safely cross the hard fork.
• The upgrade will move Cardano to protocol version 11 without an era transition.
• Van Rossem adds Plutus, ledger consistency and node-level security improvements.
• ADA needs a weekly close above $0.26 to confirm stronger recovery momentum.

Cardano has moved closer to its next network upgrade after the van Rossem hard fork was submitted to the preview testnet, marking a key step before possible mainnet activation.

Intersect, a member-based organization in the Cardano ecosystem, confirmed that the van Rossem hard fork governance action has been submitted to preview. Cardano Node version 11.0.1 Pre-Release has also been made available.

Stake pool operators, decentralized application teams, and developers using the preview network have been urged to upgrade. The node release is required to safely cross the hard fork and support Cardano’s upgrade to protocol version 11.

Cardano Node 11.0.1 Supports Van Rossem Upgrade

Cardano Node 11.0.1 is the first node release built to support the van Rossem intra-era hard fork. The upgrade will move Cardano to protocol version 11 once the governance action is voted on and enacted on-chain.

The process requires participation from stake pool operators, delegated representatives, and the Constitutional Committee. Under Cardano’s governance framework, at least 85% of active stake pools must upgrade to a compatible node version before ratification.

The release also updates cardano-api and cardano-cli to their 11.0 series. It also advances the experimental hard fork target to protocol version 12, preparing the network for future upgrades.

The van Rossem hard fork is an intra-era upgrade, meaning Cardano will remain in the Conway era. There will be no full era transition, and transaction shape is not expected to change.

Plutus Performance and Security Improvements Included

Protocol version 11 includes improvements tied to Plutus performance, ledger consistency, and node-level security.

Several new Plutus primitives will become available after the upgrade, based on Cardano Improvement Proposals including CIP-0109, CIP-0132, CIP-0133, CIP-0138, and CIP-0153.

The hard fork will also unify built-in functions across Plutus V1, V2, and V3. This means existing Plutus V1 and V2 scripts will gain access to a wider set of built-ins after the upgrade.

Because the upgrade is intra-era, ecosystem disruption is expected to be limited. Developers and applications should still move to the new node version to ensure compatibility before the upgrade reaches mainnet.

The update continues Cardano’s broader focus on governance-led network development following the Conway era transition.

ADA Price Watches $0.26 Confirmation Level

ADA price action remains focused on the $0.26 level, which analysts view as the key short-term confirmation zone. A weekly close above that level could show that momentum is shifting after a long accumulation phase.

Market data from TapTools shows that buyer pressure has started to improve. The Buyers vs Sellers reading remains negative at about -3.70, but it has been rising from deeper negative levels, suggesting selling pressure is easing.

If buyer pressure continues to improve while ADA holds above $0.26, traders may watch for a move toward $0.28 to $0.30. A stronger breakout could bring $0.32, $0.38, and $0.45 into focus.

Source: X

Cardano’s holder base has also continued to grow. TapTools data citing Token Terminal shows Cardano has surpassed 4.5 million holders, showing continued network participation despite weak price action.

Longer-term targets such as $0.50, $0.75, and $1.00 remain dependent on ADA first confirming strength above the $0.26 to $0.30 range. Until then, the market remains in a technical waiting phase while the van Rossem upgrade advances through testing.

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