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Plomin hard fork

Plomin marks the second governance upgrade in the Conway era, completing Cardano's on-chain governance features under CIP-1694 and marking the transition to community-driven decision-making. See also the companion explainer for Chang.

What is Plomin​

Plomin is the January 29, 2025 hard fork (epoch 537, protocol version 10.0) that introduces the second batch of CIP-1694 governance capabilities: it enables the full set of governance actions and activates the delegated representative (DRep) role for ada holders.

Why it matters​

With Plomin, Cardano completed the Conway governance era and moved to decentralized on-chain governance. Ada holders can now participate directly or via DReps in decisions such as protocol updates, treasury withdrawals, and future hard forks. The upgrade was enacted following approval by stake pool operators (SPOs) and the interim constitutional committee (ICC), making it the first community-driven hard fork in Cardano history.

Background​

Cardano introduced on-chain governance in two stages within the Conway era: Chang #1 and Chang #2. In November 2024, the community affirmed renaming the second stage to Plomin in honor of Matthew Plomin.

Governance scope after Plomin​

Plomin enables a tripartite governance system in which representative bodies can consider and ratify major decisions. In the immediate post-fork period, Cardano’s elected delegates focus on three foundational items: the constitution, the budget, and the roadmap – each to be decided through on-chain processes now made possible by Plomin.

Feature overview​

  • Full set of CIP-1694 governance actions
  • Activation of the DRep role for delegated voting
  • Community-driven hard fork, approved by SPOs and the ICC
  • Completion of the Conway governance era under Voltaire.
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