Cardano's Van Rossem hard fork has injected fresh momentum into ADA's price, with the token rising 2.72% in the past day to $0.166—outperforming Bitcoin's modest 0.61% gain. The upgrade drove the network to Protocol Version 11, introducing a new cost model that makes Plutus smart contracts cheaper to execute, along with native array types, improved multi-asset support, and faster cryptographic operations. Developers leveraging these tools could strengthen Cardano's competitiveness in DeFi, NFTs, and real-world asset applications.
This milestone is also Cardano's first fully on-chain governed network upgrade. Delegated representatives, stake pool operators, and the Constitutional Committee voted in favor after meeting required approval thresholds, showcasing that the governance model functions independently of Input Output's direct coordination.
Amid the technical shift, founder Charles Hoskinson reignited industry debate by accusing Ethereum developers of borrowing from Cardano’s Extended UTXO model, while ARK Invest's Head of Digital Asset Research questioned Cardano’s relevance. Hoskinson publicly pushed back, noting that ARK’s proposed crypto ETF still includes ADA, signaling enduring institutional interest despite the criticism.
From a technical analysis perspective, ADA remains in a wide range after being rejected from $0.175–$0.178 earlier in July. Buyers have defended $0.160–$0.162 repeatedly, and the latest candles suggest a bounce toward $0.168. Momentum indicators show a balanced fight: the Stochastic is at 54.93 after oversold levels, and the Ultimate Oscillator sits at 49.33. For a bullish breakout, ADA must reclaim $0.170; then $0.175 and $0.180–$0.190 become reachable. Failure to hold above $0.160 could send the price down to $0.156 and then $0.150.
