Cardano Maps Dijkstra Hard Fork Path Across Four Node Releases

Intersect has outlined its clearest technical path yet toward Cardano’s Dijkstra hard fork. Upgrade Bulletin 32 introduces a four-release node sequence, a new public test network and parallel testing for Linear Leios before the changes reach the mainnet securing ADA transactions.

Cardano Node 11.2 Will Open DijkstraNet

The sequence begins with Cardano Node 11.1.1, a mainnet version expected during the week beginning September 7. The release is designed to remove legacy tracing and address known Genesis-related issues. At the time of the announcement, version 11.1.1 had been tagged in the GitHub repository but had not yet been confirmed as an official release recommended for mainnet operators.

Cardano Node 11.2 will introduce an early Dijkstra feature set for developers, stake pool operators and infrastructure teams. It is expected to include Plutus V4, Nested Transactions, staking reward changes defined through CIP-50 and other functionality planned for the new ledger era.

Node 11.2 will not include Linear Leios or serve as the hard fork release candidate. Instead, it will support DijkstraNet, a new public network for testing Dijkstra functionality before it is combined with Leios. Intersect has not announced an exact launch date.

DijkstraNet and MusashiNet Split the Testing Work

DijkstraNet will operate alongside MusashiNet, with the two networks covering separate parts of the upgrade.

MusashiNet remains dedicated to Linear Leios, Cardano’s new block-processing design intended to increase network throughput. Stake pool operators and development teams are using the network to evaluate block production, data propagation and protocol behavior under distributed conditions.

DijkstraNet will focus on the remaining Dijkstra changes, including Plutus V4, Nested Transactions, new script types, transaction format updates and additional parameters covering fees and staking rewards. The parallel structure allows ledger and smart contract features to move into public testing while Leios development continues independently.

Cardano Node 11.3 is targeted as the hard fork release candidate, combining Linear Leios with the complete Dijkstra feature set. Node 12.0 is then planned as the definitive hard fork release corresponding to Cardano protocol version 12. Neither version currently has a published release date.

Dijkstra Activation Depends on Testing and Governance

Input Output’s recalibrated technical delivery plan includes two potential enactment windows. The moderate-confidence window runs from December 5, 2026, to January 4, 2027, while the high-confidence window runs from February 24 to March 26, 2027.

Intersect has not published the methodology behind those estimates or identified the later period as a fallback scenario. Neither range represents a confirmed date for the Dijkstra hard fork.

Phase 1 code completion remains targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026. Mainnet activation requires additional steps, including Preview and Pre-production hard forks, testing periods for stake pool operators and an on-chain governance action involving DReps, SPOs and the Constitutional Committee.

Linear Leios is included in Phase 1, while Ouroboros Peras remains separated into Phase 2, with code completion targeted for the second quarter of 2027. The first phase will introduce the structures and parameters required for Peras, allowing its later activation without another ledger era.

The immediate milestone is therefore not a mainnet date but the release of Node 11.2. Once available, DijkstraNet will give operators and developers their first public environment for testing most of the new era’s ledger and smart contract functionality before it is combined with Leios and prepared for the network processing ADA.