Van Rossem Hard Fork Goes Live on Cardano PreProd as Protocol Version 11

Cardano’s PreProd testnet moved to Protocol Version 11 on June 10, 2026, at 00:00 UTC, following the enactment of the van Rossem hard fork. The upgrade remains within the Conway era and does not introduce a new era transition, but it brings technical changes affecting Plutus, ledger rules, cryptographic primitives and infrastructure compatibility. Intersect previously described PreProd as the next phase after Preview, with the mainnet decision dependent on ecosystem readiness checks across several parts of the network.

Cardano PreProd Moves to Protocol Version 11

The PreProd activation marks the next testnet stage in the van Rossem upgrade process. After Preview previously began operating under Protocol Version 11, PreProd now provides a broader environment for compatibility testing before any possible mainnet transition.

cardano-node 11.0.1 is required to operate past the hard fork boundary and is the first node release supporting the PV11 intra-era hard fork. Intersect previously stated that node 10.7.1 cannot cross the Protocol Version 11 boundary, meaning infrastructure operators need compatible software to continue operating after activation.

The upgrade process also includes updates across other parts of Cardano infrastructure, including cardano-db-sync, Ogmios, Kupo and Rosetta implementations. These tools are used for data indexing, node communication, application development, API access and service integrations that depend on the Cardano network.

PreProd now allows SPOs, DApp teams, wallets, exchanges and infrastructure providers to verify how their systems behave under Protocol Version 11 rules. That process includes node compatibility, synchronization, indexing, application behavior, API dependencies and operational readiness before a mainnet decision is made.

Plutus Upgrades Expand Cardano Developer Capabilities

The van Rossem hard fork includes changes that are directly relevant to Plutus and smart contract development. According to Cardano upgrade documentation, the update broadens the availability of built-in functions across Plutus V1, V2 and V3, reducing differences between Plutus script versions.

The new or expanded technical elements include BLS12-381 multi-scalar multiplication, modular exponentiation, dropList, Array type and MaryEraValue. BLS12-381 and modular exponentiation are relevant for advanced cryptography, zero-knowledge constructions and applications that require more efficient cryptographic operations at the smart contract level.

For Cardano, the upgrade moves the developer environment toward a broader function set and more precisely defined execution costs. The new Plutus elements and updated cost models are relevant for teams building DeFi applications, zero-knowledge solutions, advanced wallet functionality and services that require more efficient cryptographic operations.

The related Plutus Cost Models parameter update is part of the same preparation path. Cost models define how Plutus script execution costs are calculated, and the update allows new functions introduced after the hard fork to have defined CPU and memory parameters. For developers, testing now includes not only node compatibility, but also application behavior, script execution, transaction construction and cost calculation under PV11 conditions.

Mainnet Preparation Depends on Ecosystem Readiness

After the PreProd activation, attention moves to the readiness process. The Hard Fork Working Group monitors several parts of the Cardano ecosystem, including SPO infrastructure, exchanges, DApps, wallets and critical development tools.

Tooling that connects node infrastructure with applications has a direct role in whether user-facing services can operate normally after the upgrade.

van Rossem is an intra-era hard fork, which means Cardano remains in the Conway era while moving to a new protocol version with updated network rules and capabilities. The upgrade includes Plutus performance improvements, ledger consistency changes and node-level security updates, including changes related to VRF key handling and reference input rules.

For the Cardano ecosystem, the PreProd activation changes van Rossem from a scheduled testnet upgrade into an active PV11 operating environment. The next stage depends on whether node versions, indexers, API tools, wallets, DApps, exchanges and other integrations can run under the new rules without service disruption. The mainnet decision therefore depends not only on the hard fork code itself, but on confirmation that Cardano’s broader technical stack can support Protocol Version 11 in production.