Cardano released node version 11.1.1 via Intersect’s GitHub repository over the weekend of September 6, 2026. The release arrived slightly ahead of the initial target set for the week of September 7.
This software release marks the first stage of four sequential node upgrades prepared specifically to support the Dijkstra hard fork. The 11.1.1 update removes Cardano’s legacy tracing system. Developers also resolved several Genesis-related technical issues while patching high memory usage vulnerabilities detected during earlier testing of version 11.1.0.
The Path to the Dijkstra Hard Fork
A month from now, the second milestone will follow with the release of node 11.2. This subsequent version will include most core Dijkstra features for technical testing, though the code is not yet the final hard fork candidate. As soon as node 11.2 becomes available, Intersect plans to launch a separate public testnet dubbed DijkstraNet.
The public network will serve as a dedicated testing ground for new features in protocol version 12. DijkstraNet will feature three major upgrade components: Plutus V4, Nested Transactions, and CIP-50 governance parameters. Nested Transactions allow a single Cardano transaction to contain other transactions within it, while keeping the validation conditions of both transactions strictly separate. This added capability is designed to support significantly more complex decentralized applications.
For application developers, Plutus V4 arrives as the latest version of the primary smart contract programming language and execution environment across the Cardano ecosystem.
Impact on Staking and the Final Execution Timeline
The governance update via CIP-50 targets network economics, addressing pledge leverage rules and staking reward distribution. Stake pool operators will need to evaluate and review the extent of the impact these parameter changes have on their incentives before the upgrade is ultimately activated on mainnet.
Regarding the Dijkstra activation timeline, the Intersect team outlined estimated timeframes across two confidence levels. A moderate-confidence target places the hard fork execution between December 5, 2026, and January 4, 2027. For those looking for a high-confidence timeline, the launch is projected to occur between February 24 and March 26, 2027.
All preparations leading up to Dijkstra do not disrupt other protocol upgrades. The MusashiNet testnet, which focuses on testing the Leios consensus mechanism, continues to run in parallel and independently alongside DijkstraNet.
Reported by crypto.news.
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