Cardano member organization Intersect has provided an update on the Cardano Node 10.7.0 upgrade, which could significantly impact the network’s growth. This move comes as the network prepares for the Van Rossem hard fork, which will usher in Protocol version 11.

In an X post, Intersect revealed that the target pre-release is expected in the next few days and that benchmarking is not considered a hard blocker for pre-release. Instead, the pre-release is dependent on performance results and integration testing, with further minor releases likely to follow. 

The node 10.7.0 pre-release is a key part of the Van Rossem hard fork, which would enhance smart contracts and node performance on the network. As part of the pre-release, Intersect revealed that a DBSync compatible with the 10.7.0 node is expected soon after the node is released. 

Furthermore, this upgrade includes no serialization changes, so developers do not anticipate issues with hardware wallets. Meanwhile, Intersect noted that the pre-release version 10.7.0 can be used for testing features. Additionally, version 10.7.x will be promoted to V11 to fork the Preview and PrePod testnets and subsequently the mainnet. 

A major focus of Protocol Version 11 is enhancing Plutus, Cardano’s smart contract platform. Intersect noted that the hard fork will introduce new Plutus built-in functions. These functions are CIP-138 (Array type), CIP-153 (MaryEraValue type), CIP-109 (Modular exponentiation builtin), CIP-132 (dropList builtin), and CIP-133 (Multi-scalar multiplication over BLS12-381).

These new built-ins are said to be available for testing as SanchNet has been upgraded to Protocol Version 11. Meanwhile, Scalus’ smart contract tooling has been upgraded ahead of the hard fork to enable these built-ins.

Cardano trading platform TapTools stated that Cardano is heading into one of its most important years yet and that 2026 is “stacked” with several bullish developments. These developments include the Rossem hard fork, Midnight mainnet bringing privacy to the network, the CLARITY Act, Ouroboros Leios upgrade, and CNT listings. 

The CLARITY Act will provide regulatory clarity, which could boost the ADA price as more institutional investors adopt the network once clarity is in place. It is worth noting that the SEC said that Cardano is a digital commodity, not a security. The CLARITY Act will cement the token’s status as a commodity. 

Cardano ETFs are also likely to launch this year. Grayscale has already filed for an ADA ETF, which is far gone in the approval process. The launch of this fund could attract new capital into the Cardano ecosystem as institutions invest in ADA. 

At the time of writing, the ADA price is trading at around $1.38, down over 2%, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

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