A Github document released a few hours ago reveals that Cardano developers have decided to use version 1.35.3 of the latest node for the Vasil hard fork.
Launch on the testnet
Node 1.35.3 fixes some important issues and provides some CLI improvements. The node offers full Vasil-era capabilities.
The selected node is not yet perfect. Still, developers expect that none of these will hinder the hard fork from successfully launching on the mainnet.
According to the post, the technical leader, quality assurance engineer, operations team and release manager have all signed to move forward with node version 1.35.3. Developers rely on minor updates to fix current issues in the future.
One last bump
The last node before the Vasil hard fork played an important role in the delay of the upgrade. According to Input Output Global (IOG), CEO Charles Hoskinson, while testing the latest node, node 1.35.0, developers found three bugs that led to the development of 3 different software versions up to node 1.35.3. Hoskinson hinted at the time that 1.35.3 would be the likely candidate for the hard fork, as has now been confirmed.
Developers have successfully launched the Vasil upgrade on the testnet. How this new iteration of the software would affect the launch of the testnet remains to be seen.
Whether developers will make another testnet launch is yet to be announced. However, it brings the Cardano community one step closer to the Vasil era.
With the Vasil hard fork, the Cardano network expects improved scalability and smart contract functionality. This allows it to more efficiently handle the volume seen on competing networks like Solana. As a result, the network saw a boost in several on-chain metrics in anticipation of the upgrade.