Cardano’s Chang Hard Fork Delayed to September 1

Cardano’s much-anticipated Chang hard fork implementation has been rescheduled to September.

The delay coincides with discussions involving Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson and a potential partnership with rival blockchain network Algorand. 

Cardano’s Chang Hard Fork Postponed to September

On August 23, Intersect, a Cardano membership organization, announced the postponement of the Chang hard fork to September 1 from the initial August 27. The group had earlier stated that the launch date was tentative and dependent on approval from the working group.

The delay gives exchanges and decentralized applications (DApps) additional time to complete the necessary upgrades. Intersect noted that this adjustment ensures the ecosystem is fully prepared for this crucial milestone in Cardano’s development.

“This is a significant moment for Cardano as it marks the first time a Cardano upgrade has involved many community members and engineers across key entities in the decision-making process. This shift in governance marks a step change in how we as a community make decisions. With Chang now imminent, the power of on-chain decision-making will be in the hands of the community, empowering each member to play a crucial role in Cardano’s journey,” Intersect added.

Read more: How To Buy Cardano (ADA) and Everything You Need To Know

While Intersect did not explicitly state the reason for the delay, Hoskinson revealed that it stems from some exchanges not being ready, particularly Binance.

“It looks like Binance and a few others need more time to get their houses in order, so the rocket is going to wait on the pad, another epoch for the weather to get better. Next Chang HF window, September 1,” Hoskinson explained.

The Chang hard fork is a major step in Cardano’s evolution toward the Voltaire era. This upgrade will enable Cardano holders to actively engage in network governance. It will also increase smart contract capabilities by introducing new features to improve data security.

Amid the anticipation for the Chang hard fork, Hoskinson has set eyes on another goal. The Cardano founder hinted at the potential of creating a “decentralized AI powerhouse” through a partnership with Algorand.

“Algorand’s tech combined with a useful proof of work tuned to AI inference would make it the greatest decentralized AI powerhouse our industry has seen. It would be cool to see it become a partnerchain and push Minotaur to its limits,” Hoskinson remarked.

Notably, there are indications that the two blockchain networks will be exploring this idea. Already, Gary Malouf, the Chief Technology Officer at Algorand, and Hoskinson appear keen on discussing the prospects further.

“We’d love to hear more about what you are thinking. Definitely not the first time we’ve discussed an overlap with AI capabilities,” Malouf stated.

Read more: Who Is Charles Hoskinson, the Founder of Cardano?

Algorand — a Layer-1 blockchain founded in 2017 by MIT professor and computer scientist Silvio Micali — recently courted controversies with advertisements criticizing rival networks Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The ad suggested that those rival networks are not suitable for payments while praising Algorand’s tech.