Cardano is gearing up for what might be its most groundbreaking transformation yet — and if Charles Hoskinson’s words are any indication, the blockchain world should be paying very close attention.
In a recent livestream on May 1, Hoskinson, the visionary founder of Cardano and CEO of Input Output Global (IOG), made a bold proclamation: the upcoming Ouroboros Leios upgrade could catapult Cardano to the top of the blockchain performance charts — surpassing Solana, Avalanche, Ethereum, and others. According to him, this isn’t just another protocol update; it’s the culmination of nearly a decade of research and development.
“What we’re introducing with Leios will make Cardano the fastest cryptocurrency on the planet,” Hoskinson stated confidently. “It’s the crown jewel of the entire Ouroboros vision — eight years of work brought to life.”
What Is Leios, and Why Does It Matter?
The Leios upgrade marks a major shift in how Cardano processes transactions. It brings a multi-layered block structure to the chain, organizing transactions into three types of blocks: input blocks, ranking blocks, and endorsement blocks. This layered system is designed to significantly boost transaction throughput while preserving the network’s security and decentralization — a holy grail few have achieved in the blockchain space.
While raw speed is often the headline-grabber, Hoskinson emphasized that the true innovation lies in scalable flexibility. Instead of hardcoding throughput limits, Leios introduces a dynamic, adaptable system — something Hoskinson calls the “tick-tock model” — that allows developers to fine-tune network performance over time.
This flexibility is crucial in an industry where demand can explode overnight. Whether it’s a surge in DeFi activity, an influx of AI agents, or a new gaming application built on-chain, Cardano’s future infrastructure is being designed to scale as needed — no compromises.
The Race Against High-Speed Competitors
When it comes to raw throughput, Solana is often hailed as the speed king, capable of processing over 65,000 transactions per second (TPS) under optimal lab conditions. But that speed has come with serious trade-offs, including repeated network outages and questions about decentralization.
Ethereum, the second-largest blockchain by market cap, lags far behind in terms of base-layer TPS (typically 15–30), and its scalability hinges on rollups and long-term sharding implementation. Avalanche promises higher speeds, but real-world performance often falls short of its theoretical 4,500 TPS.
If Leios performs as anticipated, Cardano could potentially match — or even outpace — these platforms without sacrificing its decentralization ethos. Early simulations suggest the network could eventually support tens of thousands of TPS, a leap that would redefine what a decentralized blockchain can do at scale.
Beyond Leios: A Bigger Picture of Innovation
Hoskinson didn’t stop with Leios. He also highlighted Cardano’s other forward-looking projects like Hydra (for off-chain scalability), Mithril (for secure light client functionality), and Starstream rollups (targeting modular scaling). All of these technologies are being developed in parallel across various global teams following a “follow-the-sun” model — a strategy that ensures progress around the clock.
According to Hoskinson, the Leios upgrade could reach finalization as early as the second half of 2025, with full implementation expected in 2026. If all goes to plan, Cardano could soon find itself not only as a contender in blockchain speed but also as the most versatile and robust infrastructure for the next generation of decentralized applications.
“This isn’t just about winning a race,” Hoskinson said. “It’s about building a network that’s ready for everything the future throws at it — whether that’s AI, global DeFi, or things we haven’t even imagined yet.”
With the Leios upgrade on the horizon, Cardano is no longer content being the “slow and steady” player in the crypto race. It’s gearing up for a quantum leap — and the rest of the blockchain world may soon find itself playing catch-up.
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