Cardano Sets New Transaction Record: 1.78 Million Transactions in One Epoch

Cardano has recorded its highest transaction count in a single epoch. During epoch 660, from October 6 to October 11, 2026, the network processed 1,780,896 transactions. This figure is independently visible in Cardanoscan's on-chain epoch statistics. Yet the story behind the surge matters as much as the headline number.

What the blockchain data confirms

Cardanoscan reports 1,780,896 transactions, 21,243 blocks and 337,719.996235 ADA in total transaction fees for epoch 660. Independent reporting puts the preceding epoch at 158,011 transactions, making the new count approximately 11.27 times higher. It also exceeds the previous benchmark of 1,566,974 transactions from November 2021 by roughly 13.65%.

HOSKY's October 16 announcement additionally reports 542,532 transactions on October 8 and a brief peak of around 440 transactions per second. Those two additional figures are attributed to the announcement and have not been separately established here through a complete block-by-block analysis. A short-lived peak should not be confused with sustained throughput.

How HOSKY's Doggie Bowl contributed

According to HOSKY, its reopened Doggie Bowl distribution campaign, launched on October 6, was a major contributor to the record. Participants sent 2 ADA to a designated address and received approximately 1.x ADA back plus a randomized HOSKY token allocation. Repeat participation, including automated submissions, produced substantial transaction traffic.

There is independent evidence supporting this explanation. Stake pool operator SIPO examined a sample of three blocks and found that 136 of the first 180 transactions reviewed sent exactly 2 ADA to the same address. That pattern is consistent with the campaign, although the sample does not establish what proportion of all 1.78 million transactions came from HOSKY.

Why transactions are not the same as users

Transaction counts measure ledger activity, not unique people or independent economic use cases. One wallet, application or automated campaign can submit many transactions. Epoch 660 therefore demonstrates an exceptional burst of activity on Cardano's production network, but does not by itself establish sustained adoption or organic growth.

The roughly 337,720 ADA in fees also represents network-wide transaction fees, not revenue earned by one stake pool or a guaranteed increase in staking rewards.

What the record means for stake pool operators

A surge of this size offers an opportunity to observe how Cardano's distributed infrastructure behaves under increased transaction load. Block producers and relay nodes still need to process and propagate blocks reliably. However, transaction totals alone cannot demonstrate the long-term scalability of the network or the performance of individual pools.

For the HAMSTER Stake Pool (HAMDA), the key questions concern decentralized infrastructure, block propagation and operational resilience. A deeper technical assessment would require additional measurements, including block utilization, propagation delays and transaction patterns over subsequent epochs.

The takeaway

The 1,780,896-transaction record is supported by publicly accessible on-chain epoch data. HOSKY's Doggie Bowl is a credible major driver, supported by independent transaction sampling. What the record does not establish is 1.78 million unique users or lasting growth. The next epochs will offer a clearer view of how much activity persists after the campaign.

Further Reading

• HOSKY: Doggie Bowl Campaign and Cardano Network Records (GlobeNewswire, October 16, 2026)
• Cardanoscan: Cardano Epoch 660
• SIPO: Weekly Brief #27 – HOSKY Transaction Sampling