Block Sizes On Cardano To See An 11% Increase

Input-Output has given a significant update regarding Cardano and its planned network updates, taking to Twitter to announce that Cardano block sizes are set to increase by 11%. The increase in block size is part of Cardano’s efforts to optimize its network and will enable the protocol to process more transactions. 

Increasing Capacity To Process More Transactions

The increase in block size means that the block size on Cardano would grow to 80 kilobytes, up considerably from the current 72 kilobytes. The increase in block size will allow Cardano’s blocks to carry more information and transactions. Cardano put out a thread on Twitter elaborating on the network upgrades. 

“NETWORK UPDATE: Today, we have proposed the next parameter update as we continue to increase #Cardano network capacity in line with the plan. The proposal will increase the block size by a further 8KB taking it from 72KB to 80KB.”

An Influx Of New Projects 

Cardano has seen a recent influx of new projects that have launched on the blockchain, making it imperative that it can process more transactions and handle more traffic as projects on the network grow. 

In addition to an increase in block size, the Plutus memory limit would also see an increase to 14 million units per transaction, up from its current level of 12.5 million units per transaction. The last increase in the Plutus memory limit was conducted in January. 

An Urgent Need To Scale 

Cardano had seen a significant spike on its blockchain last month, with the load spiking to 90% thanks to an increase in adoption. This also brought into focus the urgent need to scale the network. According to data sourced by Cardano Insights, almost all blocks remain full as of the 1st of February, with an average load of 85%. 

The new upgrades will come into effect on the 4th of February and enable decentralized applications based on the Cardano blockchain to run seamlessly as demand continues to grow. 

Further Enhancements In The Pipeline 

Input-Output has stated that it will closely monitor the overall health of the network before implementing any further changes or adjustments. Currently, Cardano is in the third stage of its developmental roadmap. Called “Basho,” the phase is named after Japanese poet Matsuo Basho. Currently;y, Cardano’s team is optimizing its network to support a growing base of users. 

Both on-chain and off-chain solutions will play a significant role in helping the network achieve its desired level of scale. 

Problems Still Persist 

Cardano has gone out of its way to project itself as a more secure blockchain than its peers. However, the blockchain had a significant problem to deal with when SundaeSwap and CardStarter, both building on Cardano, got embroiled in a bitter public row on social media, with each project accusing the other of broken promises, foul play and even accusing each other of trying to orchestrate a rug pull event. 

The dispute played out in public much to the annoyance of the Cardano community and was serious enough to warrant a stern telling-off from Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson. 

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.