Ouroboros

2026

Genesis

Cardano

<a href="https://x.com/Cardano" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@Cardano</a> turns nine today. <a href="https://cardanolibrary.net/en/encyclopedia/genesis-block/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The genesis block was created on September 23, 2017 at 21:44:51 UTC</a>, marking the start of one of the most research-driven blockchains in the industry. Over the nine years that followed, the network has completed 11 protocol upgrades and evolved from a basic value-transfer chain into a fully self-governing ecosystem.
<h2 id="from-shelley-to-on-chain-governance">From Shelley to On-Chain Governance</h2>
The most consequential early shift came with the Shelley upgrade in 2020, which moved the network away from a federated model and handed block production to community-run stake pools. <cite>Crypto staking was made possible on the Cardano network, with users delegating their <a href="https://x.com/search?q=%24ADA&amp;src=cashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">$ADA</a> tokens to staking pools that worked to secure and decentralize the network.</cite>
Governance matured further through the Chang and Plomin eras, which introduced full on-chain decision-making. The result is a protocol treasury that now holds 1.621 billion $ADA, funded by a portion of transaction fees and monetary expansion, and controlled directly by the community rather than a central entity.
<h2 id="what-the-dijkstra-era-means-for-scalability">What the Dijkstra Era Means for Scalability</h2>
With its governance foundations in place, Cardano is now focused on performance. The next major chapter is the Dijkstra era, structured as a two-phase rollout. <cite>Cardano developers have finalized the scope of the upcoming Dijkstra era, setting out a two-phase upgrade that will first deploy Ouroboros Linear Leios and Nested Transactions before introducing the Peras consensus enhancement through a separate hard fork in 2027.</cite>
<cite>Linear Leios will increase throughput through supplementary Endorser Blocks alongside existing Praos Ranking Blocks. These Endorser Blocks reference additional transactions that the network can process after certification, meaning Cardano can increase transaction capacity without relying on larger blocks or faster slots.</cite>
<cite>Phase 1 is targeting the fourth quarter of 2026 and will establish the Dijkstra ledger era while activating Linear Leios. Phase 2 is expected in the second quarter of 2027 and will activate Ouroboros Peras through an intra-era hard fork.</cite><cite>The dates remain targets rather than guarantees, with testing, ecosystem readiness, and Cardano's on-chain governance process potentially affecting deployment.</cite>
The original copy cites an expected 65x boost in throughput from the combined Dijkstra and Leios upgrades. If the two-phase rollout proceeds on schedule, <cite>Leios is intended to dramatically expand how much activity the blockchain can process, while Peras is intended to make that activity settle faster.</cite>
Sources <a href="https://cardanolibrary.net/en/encyclopedia/genesis-block/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Cardano Library: Genesis Block</a> <a href="https://financefeeds.com/cardano-plans-two-phase-dijkstra-upgrade-with-leios-and-peras/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">FinanceFeeds: Cardano Dijkstra Upgrade, Leios Q4 2026 and Peras 2027</a> <a href="https://cryptobriefing.com/cardano-dijkstra-upgrade-q4-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Crypto Briefing: Cardano Dijkstra Two-Phase Upgrade 2026 and 2027</a>

Cardano is 9 Years Old Today

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