Cardano community approves treasury funding to support upgrades across performance, scalability, and UX

Key Takeaways

• Cardano community approved treasury funding for Input Output Engineering to support major protocol upgrades.
• The initiative introduces milestone-based payments and increases transparency and decentralization in network development.

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The Cardano community has approved Input | Output Engineering’s (IOE) protocol roadmap proposal for treasury funding, with approximately 74% of voters supporting the initiative in what marks the first community-authorized core development funding for the blockchain network, according to a new press release .

The approved funding will be used for major upgrades focused on scalability, developer experience, and interoperability. The key developments include Ouroboros Leios for increased throughput, Hydra for fast and low-cost transactions, Mithril enhancements for reduced bootstrap times, and Project Acropolis for modular node architecture.

“This is a milestone moment for Cardano,” said Tim Harrison, EVP Community & Ecosystem at Input | Output. “For the first time, core protocol development is being funded directly by the community. This vote of confidence empowers us to move forward with full transparency, shared responsibility, and a renewed commitment to building an open, resilient ecosystem.”

The funding structure incorporates milestone-based payments administered by Intersect, with releases contingent on verified delivery. IOE will provide monthly updates, engineering timesheets, and quarterly budget reports for community oversight.

“Securing this funding is just the start,” said Ricky Rand, General Manager at Input | Output Engineering. “This is a vote of confidence in Cardano’s future – and a model for how decentralized funding and delivery can work at scale. The real work begins now – delivering with integrity, reporting with transparency, and building with and for the community.”

The IOE plans to engage external vendors, particularly from the Cardano Developer Ecosystem Coalition, as part of future funding rounds to strengthen decentralization.

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