Cardano’s Chang Fork Is Go: Sept 1 Launch Locked In
The Chang hard fork missed its initial trigger deadline because exchanges were not ready.
All hard fork requirements were met on Wednesday, and a go-live date is now set.
Cardano is approaching a pivotal milestone in its five-phase roadmap, which includes foundational development, decentralization, smart contracts, scaling, and governance. The Chang hard fork will mark a significant step in the governance phase, transferring control of the network from Input Output (IO) and the Cardano Foundation (CF) to ADA token holders. Sponsored
The Chang hard fork missed its initial August 23 trigger date due to insufficient exchange liquidity to meet the threshold requirement. However, all required thresholds were met by Wednesday, leading the Chang working group to select September 1 as the go-live trigger date.
Cardano’s new era of decentralized governance is set to begin on September 1, after surpassing the threshold requirements of 70%+ stake pool operators upgrading to the latest node software and achieving 80%+ exchange liquidity on Wednesday.
Intersect confirmed that the September 1 date at 21:45 UTC has been locked in following a meeting of the Chang working group.
The organization noted that the Chang hard fork will transition Cardano from one of the most decentralized chains to a fully decentralized ecosystem, where token holders will govern the project.
Blockchain Democracy
The Chang hard fork will introduce community-driven governance to Cardano, with IO and the CF stepping back from control to decentralize the chain fully.
This new governance model will feature a constitutional committee, delegated representatives (DReps) for policy coordination, and stake pool operators (SPOs).
Cardano users can submit governance proposals, but these will require ratification from at least two of the three bodies through on-chain voting to advance. Once ratified, proposals will undergo broader on-chain voting, allowing ADA holders to either delegate their voting rights to a chosen DRep or become a DRep themselves.
Chang refers to the on-chain infrastructure supporting decentralized governance. Achieving a fully decentralized chain also relies on off-chain decisions that are still pending, such as finalizing the Cardano constitution and determining compensation for DReps.
On the Flipside
The delay in reaching Chang readiness highlights the complexities of coordinating major upgrades across a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders.
IO CEO Charles Hoskinson considers proper governance the key to long-term success.
Why This Matters
Cardano’s Chang hard fork is an ambitious experiment in blockchain democracy. Time will tell if this bold vision can successfully navigate real-world implementation challenges.