Cardano Outlines Leios Rollout for Multi-Fold Capacity Gains

The rollout process mandates that stake pool operators register new BLS voting keys, with the developer estimating that 90–95% of delegated stake must participate to ensure network stability. While the Dijkstra hard fork enables the protocol, Leios remains inactive until these registration thresholds are met. Pools opting out of registration can continue producing standard Praos blocks but will be excluded from the new voting process for endorser blocks.

Input Output plans to utilize controlled traffic bursts on the mainnet to calibrate performance, targeting an initial throughput increase from the current 4.5 kilobytes per second to a range of 13.5–22.5 TxkB/s. Future scaling toward 45–67.5 TxkB/s will depend on subsequent governance votes and performance data. The developer emphasizes that Leios provides the infrastructure for high-volume activity, though achieving the network’s economic break-even point—estimated at 50–70 TxkB/s—remains dependent on organic demand rather than the upgrade alone.

Governance and Technical Milestones

Beyond technical implementation, the upgrade requires a constitutional update to establish guardrails for future parameter adjustments. The Intersect Parameters Committee is tasked with preparing these scripts, which will govern how throughput can be scaled without requiring additional hard forks. Recent testnet performance on MusashiNet demonstrated peak speeds nearly six times higher than current mainnet levels, though developers caution that live network conditions involving roughly 2,700 diverse pools present a more complex operating environment than synthetic testing.