Cardano announces two-phase Dijkstra upgrade with Leios (Q4 2026) and Peras (Q2 2027) to improve throughput and settlement speed.
Regulation & Gov ·
Cardano has announced a two-phase upgrade schedule for its Dijkstra era, with Phase 1 completing code in Q4 2026 and Phase 2 arriving in Q2 2027. The first phase will introduce Ouroboros Linear Leios, a protocol layer designed to boost network throughput via supplementary Endorser Blocks, alongside nested transactions, PlutusV4 support, account-style address upgrades, and streamlined staking-reward withdrawals. Phase 2 will activate Ouroboros Peras, adding a stake-pool voting mechanism intended to reduce settlement finality times.
Both phases require testnet validation and on-chain governance approval before mainnet deployment, meaning the announced timelines remain conditional on community signoff and technical validation. The two-stage approach segments throughput improvements from settlement acceleration, suggesting the protocol team views these as distinct optimization paths with separate readiness and risk profiles.
What remains unspecified is the extent of throughput gains from Leios, the precise settlement speed improvement Peras will deliver, and whether either phase faces implementation challenges that could shift the Q4 2026 and Q2 2027 targets.