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Cardano, a smart contracts platform and Ethereum competitor, is transiting and preparing for Voltaire after completing Basho. In the last phase, developers focused on scaling and performance enhancement.
A key part of this transition will be the complete activation of the Chang hard fork. According to Cardanoscan, on August 19, only 33% of all stake pool operators (SPOs) were ready, while 14% of all supportive exchanges were ready.
Cardano chang hard fork readiness | Source: Cardanoscan
Once all SPOs update their node and the network transits to Voltaire, there will be multiple benefits. One is that Cardano will adopt a decentralized governance model.
Will Cardano Lead The ZK-Scaling Race After Chang?
Beyond this, one observer sharing insights from Philip DiSarro, the founder of Anastasia Labs, said the network would stand to lead the zero-knowledge (ZK) scaling race. In the podcast, DiSarro argues that Chang will give Cardano a considerable advantage, giving the platform a lead in the current “scaling war.”
This lead will be thanks mainly to the additions that the Chang hard fork brings to Cardano. After the hard fork, Cardano will integrate Plutus v2, allowing developers to create and launch smart contracts more efficiently.
The programming language also handles complete computations, which is the core of ZK proofs. Moreover, after the update, features will be ready to enable off-chain computation, which is vital for ZK-rollups instantly.
For this reason, the observer is convinced Cardano, post-Chang, will be unique and won’t be “copied by anyone.” This advantage, the observer continued, gives the network a “huge, unique selling point” regarding ZK scaling.
Ethereum Leads Layer-2s But Transaction Determinism Is Crucial
Ethereum is scaling mostly through optimistic rollups where transactions are bundled and approved offline. The problem with this model is that centralized systems act as intermediaries, watering out the real benefits of approving transactions on-chain.
Some of these centralized systems include a sequencer for ordering transactions. There is also a fault-proof system for ensuring all transactions posted are valid.
Through Chang, Cardano can adopt ZK scaling as their primary means of enhancing transaction processing. With this choice, off-chain transactions through rollups, similar to Ethereum, will be more effective and decentralized because the platform supports determinism.
The developers’ emphasis on It means all transaction inputs will always produce the same outputs, a feature that suits ZK scaling. Since the same inputs produce the same output, transaction outcomes are highly predictable.
Cardano price trending sideways on the daily chart | Source: ADAUSDT on Binance, TradingView
ADA remains under pressure as the network transits, failing to shake off weakness. The coin is down 60% from March 2024 highs and retesting key support at $0.30.
Feature image from Flickr, chart from TradingView
