Cardano’s 24/7 Development Model and Leios Upgrade: A Strategic Catalyst for ADA’s Next Bull Run

Operational Urgency: The 24/7 “Follow the Sun” Model

Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, has prioritized the Ouroboros Leios upgrade as the most urgent initiative in the network’s roadmap, implementing a 24/7 “Follow the Sun” development model to accelerate progress [1]. This strategy organizes teams across time zones to ensure continuous development, with strict measures taken to enforce compliance—engineers resisting the model have been replaced, and agile developers exclusively focused on Leios have been recruited [1]. The urgency stems from the need to position Cardano as a top-tier blockchain in a competitive landscape dominated by high-throughput platforms like Solana and Ethereum’s Layer 2 solutions.

Technical Breakthroughs: Leios and the Three-Layer Block Structure

The Ouroboros Leios upgrade introduces a three-layer block structure—“input,” “endorsement,” and “ranking”—enabling parallel transaction processing while maintaining security and decentralization [1]. This innovation allows Cardano to handle higher transaction volumes without compromising its core principles, a critical differentiator in an industry where many proof-of-stake (PoS) networks trade decentralization for speed. When combined with layer-2 solutions like Hydra and lightweight validation via Mithril, Cardano aims to achieve 1,500+ TPS scalability [3]. This approach aligns with the broader trend of modular blockchain architectures, where performance is optimized through layered infrastructure rather than sacrificing decentralization.

Competitive Positioning: Scalability in the 2023–2025 Era

While Cardano’s post-Leios TPS benchmarks remain undisclosed, its strategic focus on scalability places it in direct competition with Ethereum, Solana, and Polkadot. Ethereum’s Layer 1 throughput is limited to ~15 TPS, but Layer 2 rollups (e.g., optimistic and zero-knowledge solutions) have pushed its effective throughput to over 250 TPS by 2025 [3]. Solana, leveraging its Proof-of-History (PoH) consensus, dominates with 65,000 TPS [4], while Polkadot emphasizes interoperability and parallel processing across its parachains [1]. Cardano’s 1,500+ TPS target, though lower than Solana’s, positions it as a balanced alternative prioritizing security and decentralization—a niche that remains underserved in the blockchain space.

Institutional Adoption and Long-Term Viability

Cardano’s scalability upgrades are not just technical milestones but strategic enablers for real-world adoption. The network’s focus on cross-border payments, institutional-grade smart contracts, and governance innovations (e.g., the on-chain ratification of the Cardano Constitution) underscores its ambition to become a foundational infrastructure for global finance [1]. The Vasil hard fork (2022) and ongoing work by entities like PRAGMA and Intersect further solidify its technical and governance foundations [1]. These developments suggest Cardano is laying the groundwork for sustained growth, even as it faces stiff competition from faster, more specialized blockchains.

Investment Implications

For investors, Cardano’s 24/7 development model and Leios upgrade represent a calculated bet on long-term relevance. The urgency surrounding Leios reflects a recognition of the “blockchain trilemma”—the challenge of balancing scalability, security, and decentralization. By prioritizing parallel processing and layer-2 integration, Cardano aims to solve this trilemma without compromising its core values. While Solana’s raw speed and Ethereum’s ecosystem dominance are formidable, Cardano’s structured approach to scalability and institutional adoption could catalyze a new bull run for ADA, particularly if the network successfully achieves its 1,500+ TPS target and secures partnerships in cross-border finance.

Source:
[1] Cardano Founder Announces 24/7 Development Leios Progress [https://pintu.co.id/en/news/203811-cardano-founder-announces-24-7-development-leios-progress]
[2] Cardano Hits Major Scaling Milestone: Leios CIP Goes Public [https://bitcoinist.com/cardano-scaling-milestone-leios-cip-goes-public/]
[3] Understanding Ouroboros Leios [https://messari.io/copilot/share/understanding-ouroboros-leios-e956ebe7-20a4-4bd7-987f-c4cfb0016b86]
[4] The Best Crypto to Buy Now: Top Cryptos to Invest in 2025 [https://www.litefinance.org/blog/for-beginners/how-to-trade-crypto/best-crypto-to-buy/]