Cardano is preparing to enter its Voltaire phase, the final stage of its roadmap to achieve complete decentralization. According to co-founder Charles Hoskinson, the network will undergo this significant upgrade later this month.

Currently, in its Basho era, Cardano is ready to transition to Voltaire with the release of Cardano Node version 9.0. This update will enable a hard fork, an essential step for the network to move forward. For this transition, 70% of stake pool operators (SPOs) must first upgrade to the new node software. Hoskinson shared this update in a recent post on X, highlighting that the network is poised for the change. "It looks like June will be the month that Cardano Node will reach 9.0," he stated. "This means that Cardano is Chang fork-ready and waiting for 70 percent of the SPOs to install the new node. Then, a hard fork can occur pushing Cardano into the Age of Voltaire."

Cardano's Roadmap to Decentralization

Once the hard fork is complete, Cardano will no longer be managed by the development firm IOHK but will instead be entirely governed by its community. This shift marks a significant milestone in Cardano's seven-year journey toward decentralization.

Charles Hoskinson

Hoskinson emphasized the advanced governance system that will come with Voltaire, including annual budgets, a treasury, and community-driven guidance. "We'll have the most advanced blockchain governance system, annual budgets, a treasury, and the wisdom of our entire community to guide us," he added.

The initial phase of Voltaire will implement CIP 1694, allowing ADA token holders to vote on various proposals and features that will benefit the Cardano ecosystem. Subsequent steps will introduce new functionalities like proxy participation and treasury withdrawals, empowering users to propose and fund projects within the network.

As Cardano moves closer to this pivotal upgrade, the blockchain community keenly anticipates the enhanced governance and decentralized management that Voltaire promises to deliver.