Developer Sebastian Nagel announced that Cardano, one of the most widely used blockchain platforms, achieved a significant milestone with the launch of the first Hydra node compatible with the main net. This marks a crucial step towards enhancing the platform’s scalability and flexibility, which has been a significant focus for Cardano.
The Hydra protocol is a collection of layer 2 protocols that aim to improve the scalability of the blockchain, making it more flexible for various use cases. The first Hydra head was successfully activated on the Cardano main net this month earlier, indicating that the protocol is ready for real-world use.
The launch of the Hydra node version 0.10.0 required various technical adjustments and improvements, including changes to the API to fulfill customer requests. This development significantly boosts Cardano’s competitiveness in the face of increasing competition from other blockchain platforms, and positions it as a promising option for businesses and developers seeking to leverage blockchain technology for their needs, especially in decentralized finance (DeFi) and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) use cases.
The team is already working on the next release, 0.11.0, and welcomes input from users regarding new ideas or additions that should be prioritized.