Cardano (ADA) Launches the First Testnet of the Alonzo Upgrade

• The team at IOHK has announced the launch of the first Testnet of the Alonzo Upgrade
• Cardano’s Alonzo testnet will first be available to a small group of SPOs, partners and Plutus Pioneers
• New users will be onboarded with time as the team integrates new features on the Cardano (ADA) testnet
• Once complete, the Alonzo Upgrade is geared towards introducing smart contracts on Cardano

The development team at Input Output HK (IOHK), has announced the launch of the first testnet of Cardano’s Alonzo upgrade that is geared towards introducing smart contracts to the blockchain. Codenamed Alonzo Blue, the testnet is the upgrade’s early alpha network that provides core Alonzo-node networking capability.

For this reason, Alonzo Blue will initially be available to a small group of SPOs (stake pool operators), partners of Cardano (ADA) and Plutus pioneers. This early group is in the process of being set up to access the Alonzo Blue which will evolve in the next few months to include more users as more functionality is integrated into the testnet.

Alonzo Upgrade Will Introduce Smart Contracts on Cardano (ADA)

When complete, the Alonzo upgrade will successfully integrate smart contract capabilities on the Cardano mainnet. This will ultimately lead to the evolution of Cardano and allow developers to create decentralized applications for DeFi, Gaming, NFTs and more.

The Alonzo upgrade is estimated to be complete by June or July followed by a four-week freeze on the code before the final launch. The freeze will provide a time window for wallets, exchanges and individual developers to upgrade their code in preparation for the final launch on the Cardano (ADA) Mainnet. A concrete date and time will be provided by the team at IOHK in the days and weeks ahead.

Smart Contracts Are on the Horizon – Charles Hoskinson

A few hours ago, the founder of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson, reiterated via Twitter that the project was on track towards implementing smart contracts. He also challenged Cardano’s internet trolls to a contest for the best ‘insult’ as seen in the tweet below.

So now that smart contracts are on the horizon, what do you think the next insult is going to be from the trolls? We’ve had just a wallet and ghost chain. What do you guys think? Should I hold a contest for best trolling? pic.twitter.com/QKI4VgS1Am

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) May 28, 2021