Cardano Hard Fork Confirmed for Next Month
Cardano's founder Charles Hoskinson has confirmed that the network is on track for a hard fork next month. This comes as the long-awaited Leios scalability upgrade remains scheduled for delivery this year, despite some community concerns. The upcoming hard fork and Leios upgrade are expected to bring significant improvements to the Cardano ecosystem.
Hoskinson also spoke about the growing momentum around cross-chain connectivity and stablecoin access. He highlighted a newly announced LayerZero integration that connects Cardano to more than 80 blockchains, as well as a stablecoin-like asset called USDCx designed for non-EVM systems. This asset is said to preserve 'privacy' and 'can't be frozen', making it an attractive option for Cardano users.
In addition to these developments, Hoskinson discussed the upcoming Midnight network launch, which he expects will occur next month as well. He described Midnight as a project that has been unusually difficult to ship, even for experienced teams launching major chains.
Hoskinson used the opportunity to address concerns about the industry's central battle, shifting from enforcement actions to questions of custody and settlement architecture. He warned against building networks that are owned and operated by large financial institutions, which he believes could lead to a loss of user control and freedom.