The Cardano ecosystem is gearing up for the upcoming Van Rossem hard fork, with the release of Node version 10.7.0 and a compatible DBSync update being central to these preparations. Together, these upgrades will propel the network towards the activation of Protocol Version 11. Intersect stated, "Node 10.7.0 is one of the two versions required for the hard fork."
Cardano is steadily advancing towards the activation of Protocol Version 11. Intersect confirmed that Node version 10.7.0 will follow the earlier release of 10.6.2. Version 10.6.2 initiated the upgrade preparations back in February, and the rollout of the 10.7.x series will signify the network's formal transition to Protocol Version 11.
Shortly after the node version's release, a compatible DBSync version will also be deployed. This update aims to ensure seamless data synchronization across the entire ecosystem. Notably, this upgrade does not introduce changes to serialization, thus preserving compatibility for hardware wallets.
Prior to its official mainnet activation, the Cardano network will first see the 10.7.x series deployed on the testnet. This phased deployment strategy allows for incremental validation of new features, enabling development teams to thoroughly assess performance before the final launch.
The Cardano upgrade will introduce new Plutus functionalities. Protocol Version 11 will incorporate modular exponentiation based on CIP-109. Additionally, support for the dropList operation will be included via CIP-132.
The protocol will also support multi-scalar multiplication based on CIP-133 and leverage CIP-138 for array processing. Furthermore, support for MaryEraValue will be added, as per CIP-153.
This protocol upgrade will be implemented as a non-breaking 'intra-era fork'. This means that existing transaction formats will be maintained while introducing enhancements to functionality and performance at the protocol level.
Intersect will continue to provide updates through its Discord channel. However, the organization has not yet announced a definitive mainnet activation date. Market observers widely anticipate that the upgrade could occur later this month.
Cardano will continue ecosystem coordination testing before deployment. According to Intersect, a pre-release version of Node 10.7.0 is expected within days. Once this version is available, the network will proceed with the testnet transition.