Intersect opens public Cardano Dijkstra testnet ahead of protocol version 12 hard fork
In brief
- Public Dijkstra testnet is now open following an October 21 respin, Intersect said.
- Testnet currently runs protocol version 11 (Conway) on node 11.1.3, with one-day epochs.
- Node 11.2 will hard fork DijkstraNet to protocol version 12, without Leios.
- Leios targets 3 to 5 times the 4.5 TxkB/s Praos ceiling, subject to governance.
What's running right now
The network isn't on Dijkstra yet. It's currently running protocol version 11 (Conway) on node version 11.1.3, and epochs are one day long. SPOs can onboard using configuration files on Cardano Book, which also hosts the link to the testnet faucet.
"A public Dijkstra testnet is now available! SPOs can begin onboarding using Node 11.1.3 on pv11. Epochs are 1-day in length."
Intersect's published timeline ends with a hard fork to protocol version 12 (Dijkstra) using node 11.2, followed by integration and testing against the Dijkstra feature set minus Leios. Leios isn't part of that phase.
Node 11.2, node 11.3 and a Leios prototype
Development continues on node 11.2, and Intersect said a tagged version is expected soon. It includes the full Dijkstra hard fork feature set apart from Leios, and once it's available it'll be used to hard fork the public testnet, DijkstraNet. Intersect also said 11.2 is expected to bring LSM clearance for mainnet use, along with other capabilities.
Node 11.3 is further out. Intersect said substantial work remains and a tagged release is at least two weeks away. In the meantime, the weekly RC 2026w42 pre-release is being treated as a Leios-based prototype with the complete feature set (Leios included), which gives downstream tooling teams a head start exploring Dijkstra functionality on the Musashi testnet before the formal 11.3 release.
CIP-23 was confirmed as fully in scope too. It adds a minPoolMargin protocol parameter that sets a lower bound on stake pool margin.
What Dijkstra carries
Ouroboros Leios is planned to arrive with Dijkstra, Cardano's next hard fork. SPOs first register new BLS voting keys, and once enough stake has registered, Leios can start using endorser blocks.
Capacity won't arrive all at once. The stated initial target is about 3 to 5 times the current Praos ceiling of 4.5 kilobytes of transactions per second, and at least two later parameter changes aim to push that to 10 to 15 times current throughput. Each stage depends on mainnet outcomes and governance approval, and anything beyond that will be set by demand, builder needs and the economics of running the network.
Leios isn't the whole package, though.
Dijkstra also includes nested transactions, account enhancements, guard scripts, Plutus V4, freely withdrawable staking rewards and a new pledge-leverage parameter.
Frequently asked questions
Is Leios live on the Dijkstra testnet?
No. The public Dijkstra testnet currently runs protocol version 11 (Conway) on node 11.1.3. Intersect's timeline calls for a hard fork to protocol version 12 using node 11.2, followed by testing against the Dijkstra feature set minus Leios.
How much throughput is Cardano's Leios targeting?
The initial stated target is about 3 to 5 times the current Praos ceiling of 4.5 kilobytes of transactions per second. At least two later parameter changes aim for 10 to 15 times current throughput. Each stage depends on mainnet outcomes and governance approval.
What features are included in the Dijkstra hard fork?
Dijkstra is planned to bring Ouroboros Leios along with nested transactions, account enhancements, guard scripts, Plutus V4, freely withdrawable staking rewards and a new pledge-leverage parameter. CIP-23, which adds a minPoolMargin parameter, is also fully in scope.
