- Cardano is introducing the Leios upgrade to boost transaction throughput using parallel block processing.
- The upgrade aims to match or surpass Solana’s speed while maintaining full decentralization and network stability.
- Leios is part of Cardano’s Basho phase and includes innovations like input endorsers and the EUTXO model to improve scalability and smart contract performance.
Cardano is preparing to launch a major upgrade to its network through the introduction of a new protocol called Leios, with the aim of improving transaction throughput while maintaining its core principles of decentralization and security.
The upgrade is expected to position Cardano alongside high-performance blockchains like Solana—and potentially exceed them in speed—without compromising network resilience.
Parallel Block Processing to Boost Scalability
The Leios update will introduce a parallel block processing system that departs from Cardano’s existing sequential approach. The new system will also allow multiple transactions to be processed simultaneously while increasing the network’s capacity.
Tim Harrison, Input Output’s Executive Vice President of Community & Ecosystem, explained, “Instead of one block at a time sequentially, Leios uses a parallel block process—developed, supported, and prioritized by SPOs—radically scaling throughput while ensuring security and decentralization.”
By separating transaction validation from block production, Leios allows different nodes to verify transactions independently. Not only does this improve performance but also maintains decentralization—a challenge for many competing high-throughput blockchains.
Maintaining Decentralization at Higher Speeds
Charles Hoskinson, Cardano’s founder, described Leios as a solution that delivers “Solana-style speed but with full decentralization and no stalls.” His comments appear to explain Cardano’s focus on uptime and decentralized reliability, which is different from Solana’s history of network outages.
Leios is being developed alongside Cardano’s Extended UTXO (EUTXO) model, with the capability to extend the power of smart contracts and enable parallel transaction execution. With a mechanism of input endorsers and decoupling block validation from propagation, the protocol is designed to run multiple transactions in parallel while ensuring deterministic ordering and sound consensus security.
The Leios upgrade is part of the bigger Basho phase in Cardano’s roadmap, which focuses on optimizing performance and scalability. Once deployed, it is expected to improve the network’s competitiveness in a market where speed and decentralization are often seen as trade-offs.
Cardano has operated without downtime for nearly seven years, a record its developers attribute to a research-first, methodical approach. While waiting for Leios, the network is ready to solidify itself as a fast-performance, entirely decentralized blockchain network ready to meet the requirements of the coming decade of decentralized applications.