Cardano Developers Propose Block Size Increase

The proposal will increase Cardano’s block size to 80 KB from the current 72 KB in line with a broader plan for increasing network capacity.

AccessTimeIconFeb 2, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:28 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Input Output, the development company behind the Cardano network, proposed increasing the network's block size by 11% on Wednesday.

  • “We have proposed the next parameter update as we continue to increase #Cardano network capacity in line with the plan. The proposal will increase block size by a further 8KB taking it from 72KB to 80KB,” Input Output said in a tweet.
  • Block are batches of transactions that are confirmed and recorded on a blockchain. Larger sizes mean more transactions can be included in each batch, but it can affect transaction times and overall network capacity.
  • A separate proposal was additionally triggered to increase the performance of Plutus, the smart contract platform of the Cardano blockchain. Input Output said script memory units per transaction – or the amount of data that can be included in a single transaction – on Cardano would now increase to 14 million from 12.5 million.
  • The changes are expected to improve the performance of applications built on Cardano, while increasing overall network capacity, Input Output said.
  • The proposals are in line with a broader plan to increase transactional volumes on the Cardano network as it moves towards becoming a decentralized finance (DeFi)-focused blockchain. DeFi refers to financial services that depend on smart contracts instead of third parties.
  • SundaeSwap, the first DeFi decentralized exchange (DEX) on Cardano, went live in January. The DEX offers several trading pools that consist of native Cardano tokens, such as SUNDAE, Cardano’s ADA and metaverse token PAVIA, among several others.
Trading pools and pairs on Cardano's SundaeSwap DEX. (SundaeSwap)
Trading pools and pairs on Cardano's SundaeSwap DEX. (SundaeSwap)
  • However, at the time of writing, swaps on SundaeSwap were slow. “The network is extremely congested at the moment. Swaps may fail or not go through until congestion decreases,” a notice on the DEX states.
  • Prices of ADA were up 3% in the past 24 hours, data from analytics service CoinGecko show. ADA exchanged hands at $1.10 in Asian morning hours but fell five cents at the time of writing after a nominal sell-off.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Shaurya Malwa

Shaurya is the Deputy Managing Editor for the Data & Tokens team, focusing on decentralized finance, markets, on-chain data, and governance across all major and minor blockchains.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.


Read more about