Weekly Update: Issue 104 – March 27, 2026

March 28, 2026

Intersect’s latest update, #104, delves into various key aspects of the Cardano ecosystem, including recent upgrades, upcoming international events, budget preparations, and open-source activities. Let’s explore these updates in detail.

One of the major highlights is the release of Cardano node 10.7.0 pre-release, which marks significant progress towards the van Rossem readiness. This release includes new features such as UTXO-HD, Kes Agent, and Cardano-rpc. The ecosystem is urged to start testing this new release, although a full resync of the network is required due to changes in storage shape. Final benchmarking and performance testing are ongoing, with the release expected to graduate to a full release once completed. It is noted that further minor releases may be necessary, with limited scope.

In preparation for the van Rossem hard fork, the Parameter Committee is proposing changes to the Plutus cost model settings. These changes involve enabling new primitives and altering coefficients for existing Plutus primitives. DApp developers are advised to check their scripts against the new cost model to ensure transaction cost assumptions are still accurate. The new Plutus primitives will be available at the van Rossem hard fork, outlined in various CIPs.

Moving on to budget preparations, the Intersect Steering Committee (ISC) recently reviewed draft budget proposals from Intersect and its committees. These proposals cover a range of work packages, including governance workshops, technical coordination, open-source support, product research, pilots, and treasury transparency. Discussions focused on aligning proposals, avoiding duplication, and clarifying delivery methods, with an emphasis on highlighting Intersect’s value as a coordination layer for the Cardano ecosystem.

Additionally, the Civics Committee met to review governance insights and coordinate upcoming committee elections. A presentation on the Beyond Minimal Viable Governance (BMVG) project identified positive aspects of Cardano’s governance processes, while also acknowledging challenges. The committee emphasized the importance of participation in elections and reviewed draft election rules for the Constitutional Committee.

Updates from working groups within the Civics Committee included efforts to test the Constitutional Amendment Process (CAP) and the identification of community resources for the Governance Education Working Group (GEWG). Recent governance actions, such as the ratification of the “Amaru Treasury Withdrawal 2026” proposal, were also highlighted.

Lastly, the Budget Committee introduced the Budget Proposal Submission Template to assist proposers in preparing for the upcoming budget cycle. This template is designed to streamline the budget submission process and ensure clarity in proposal submissions.

Overall, these updates shed light on the ongoing developments within the Cardano ecosystem, highlighting progress, challenges, and preparations for future initiatives. Stay tuned for more updates on Cardano’s journey towards greater innovation and growth.