Cardano Leios scaling plan targets increased transaction capacity

Input Output has outlined a staged scaling roadmap for the Cardano network through the Leios plan. The initiative is tied to the upcoming Dijkstra hard fork, which will make the protocol available, though Leios will require additional pool key registration and mainnet testing before full activation.

The initial phase aims to increase transaction data capacity to three to five times the current levels provided by the Ouroboros Praos consensus mechanism. While Praos handles approximately 4.5 kilobytes of transaction data per second, the first Leios stage targets between 13.5 and 22.5 kilobytes per second. Subsequent updates could potentially increase capacity to 10 to 15 times the baseline, reaching up to 67.5 kilobytes per second.

Technically, Leios will introduce endorser blocks alongside existing Praos blocks to handle overflow volume. These blocks require certification through a committee vote involving stake pools. To operate, pools must register BLS voting keys, with estimates suggesting that keys covering 90% to 95% of delegated stake may be necessary to ensure network stability.