Cardano is becoming a popular blockchain and with it recently achieved a major milestone through its Hydra upgrade. This upgrade is a Layer 2 solution that will increase transaction speed and efficiency for DApps within the Cardano ecosystem.
In December 2024 Hydra showed its capacity during the Doom gaming test which was designed to test the capacity of Hydra where every game frame represents a blockchain transaction for stress-testing. In this test, Hydra reached over 1 million transactions per second (TPS).
The Doom tournament is going to end on January 20 and a recent video of Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson on X highlights its plans to integrate Hydra into real-world applications.
Through this integration, the focus will shift towards Layer 2 protocols such as Anastasia Labs’ Midgard and Sundae Labs’ Gummiworm which helps in transforming the DeFi ecosystem, payments, and gaming sector
Hoskinson also highlighted that Anastasia Labs and Sundae Labs have started developing Hydra-compatible infrastructure and this development aims to refine Hydra’s capabilities further, ensuring seamless integration into practical use cases.
Hydra has performed exponentially in a Doom gaming test but Hoskinson emphasized that Hydra’s journey is far from over. It has various challenges which need to be addressed.
The key challenges highlighted by Hoskinson include facilitating better communication between Hydra Heads, including zero-knowledge proofs, and advancing the Hydra Tail protocol.
According to Hoskinson, addressing these challenges is important for a long-term vision to enhance Hydra over time rather than chasing arbitrary targets.
To conclude, Cardano’s focus on scalability through Hydra positions the network as a leader in blockchain innovation. Its commitment to continuous improvement and practical application integration could set a benchmark for blockchain scalability in years to come.
