Cardano News

This week, the networking team published several packages, including ouroboros-network-0.12.0.0, and fixed syncing in bootstrap mode. The consensus team updated production libraries for UTXO-HD, measured sync times, fixed a snapshot interval bug, and added UTXO size analysis. The Plutus team advanced CIP-57 implementation for contract blueprints. The Hydra team prepared for the Conway switch, added a UI to the Hydra explorer, and made off-chain protocol changes. The Mithril team worked on transaction certification, improved the explorer, and implemented Prometheus monitoring. The SanchoNet team updated documentation. Catalyst continued onboarding Fund11 projects and began retrospective discussions for Fund12. The education team updated the Haskell Bootcamp and Cardano Developer courses.

On March 1, 2024, at 15:13:47 CET, Cardano celebrated its 10 millionth block, minted by JAPAN4 pool. This milestone highlights the community's dedication since Shelley in 2020. The Edinburgh Decentralization Index (EDI) released dashboards showing Cardano's superior decentralization, with a Nakamoto coefficient of 58, compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum's 2. The Japanese Cardano community hosted a successful booth at Japan Web 3 Week Tokyo, with future events planned. Other news includes Rejuve’s decentralized aging research, IOG's new stablecoin XSY, CIP-1694 governance feature testing on SanchoNet, and Cryptoheadz's Cardano introduction event in California.

Cardano wallets, essential for blockchain interaction, range from hot wallets for convenience, cold storage for security, to full node wallets for transaction validation. Hot wallets like Nami, Typhon, Eternl, VESPR, and Lace offer various features. Cold storage options Ledger, Trezor, and Keystone provide offline security. The full node wallet Daedalus ensures maximum security by validating transactions locally. Each type caters to different user needs.

This week, the ledger team added reference script support for Plutus V1 in Conway, addressed stake distribution inaccuracies, and improved tooling and tests. The Plutus team began implementing the contract blueprint for Plutus Tx and updated the quick start guide to recommend the IOGX Nix flake template. The Hydra team resolved the fanout bug, optimized fee estimation, and implemented transaction metadata. The Mithril team released distribution 2408.0 with significant updates, including improved stake distribution support, and continued developing transaction certification data types. The SanchoNet team launched a patch release, fixed BLS12-381 primitives issues, and brought the GovTool online with limited wallet support. Project Catalyst is onboarding 300 approved projects, emphasizing the Statement of Milestones for accountability, and preparing for a special voting event to decide Fund12's launch location. The education team updated advanced lessons in the Haskell Bootcamp course and practical scenarios in the Cardano Developer Course.

This week, the networking team integrated bootstrap peers with cardano-node for improved connectivity and enhanced the tx-submission logic. The consensus team addressed unnecessary block downloads, fixed a bug in the io-sim, and added support for configuring ledger state snapshots. The Hydra team advanced model-based testing, resolved validation issues, and integrated Haskell linting. The Mithril team developed a new data type for certifying Cardano transactions, enhanced browser verification with the WASM client, and deployed a new Mithril network on SanchoNet. SanchoNet focused on governance actions and tutorials. Project Catalyst announced a fun voting event to determine Fund12’s launch city and continued onboarding Fund11 projects. The education team delivered the Cardano Developer course and updated the Haskell Bootcamp course.

Messari’s ‘State of Cardano’ Q4 2023 report shows significant growth, moving from 34th to 11th in total value locked ranking, with notable stablecoin developments and infrastructure progress. Catalyst Fund 11 results revealed 300 projects funded from 8,000 wallets casting over 300,000 votes. The Cardano Foundation’s initiatives in education and research are highlighted in a recent blog. Rejuve’s Developer Blog discusses using AI and blockchain to address aging. Other news includes FINMA’s stance on staking protocols, Plutus V3 on SanchoNet, and Charles Hoskinson’s insights on the crypto industry.

In this interview, Jasmine, CEO and co-founder of Rejuve.AI, provides insight into the project's mission to address human aging and longevity challenges. The decentralized research network uses AI and blockchain to reward data contributors, deliver personalized insights and establish connections with trusted providers in a Web3-based ecosystem for longevity.

The decision to launch on Cardano reflects their commitment to decentralization and governance. Jasmine discusses performance, highlights the unique features of the Longevity App and outlines the future roadmap.

The interview concludes with a look at the key partnerships contributing to Rejuve.AI's success. Lets dive right in!

This week, the core technology teams released Cardano node v.8.8.0-pre, enabling Plutus V3 script testing on SanchoNet. DB-Sync began integration with the latest Cardano node version. The ledger team focused on fixes, testing, and developing the cuddle Haskell package for CDDL specification in Haskell. The Lace team addressed core API issues for an upcoming patch. The Plutus team improved the Plutus IR inliner, reducing script costs. The Hydra team worked on Conway support, deployed the Hydra explorer tool, and enhanced model-based testing. The Mithril team implemented a new data type for certifying transactions, upgraded the client library, and released a new Mithril network on SanchoNet. The release of Cardano node v.8.8.0-pre allows for experimentation with Plutus V3 on SanchoNet. Project Catalyst announced the results of Fund11, with 300 funded projects and a total of 1,647 projects in Catalyst history. The education team delivered the Cardano Developer Course with ABC and finalized the Marlowe Curriculum for Educators.

Plutus V3's launch on SanchoNet represents a pivotal advancement for Cardano, introducing substantial improvements in smart contract efficiency, developer experience, and cross-chain interoperability. This evolution from Plutus V1 through V3, driven by a need for higher throughput and enhanced functionality, showcases Cardano's commitment to fostering a scalable, developer-friendly ecosystem. Plutus V3 enhances Cardano's DeFi capabilities, supports complex applications, and integrates advanced cryptographic and governance features, reinforcing its position as a leading blockchain platform for innovation and community-driven development.

This week, the networking team integrated bootstrap peer changes, fixed CDDL errors, and improved tx-submission logic. The consensus team advanced UTXO-HD and epoch structure for Conway. Lace prepared for v.1.9 release. Plutus improved error reporting. Hydra and Mithril teams made significant progress, and SanchoNet updated governance features. Catalyst finished Fund11 voting.