Cardano Vision 2026 (CV26)

{
  "schema_version": "1.0.0",
  "id": "onchain-cardano-vision-2026",
  "ingestion": {
    "ingested_at": "2026-05-11T14:30:00Z",
    "ingested_by": "claude-opus-4.7",
    "source_documents": [
      "Proposal text (pasted) — appears to be on-chain governance action format (constitutional self-assessment, Sundae Labs treasury contracts referenced, NCL compliance section, IPFS hosting commitment)"
    ],
    "extraction_notes": "Format differs from Hydra/Ekklesia proposals — this is on-chain governance action format with constitutional self-assessment, Sundae Labs treasury contract administration, blake2b-256 IPFS hosting, and explicit NCL compliance language. No proposal ID, submitted date, or URL captured from source. Pillars not selected via Hydra dropdown — instead each WP is mapped to multiple pillars in the text. Captured 'Infrastructure & Research Excellence' as the dominant pillar (WP1, WP2, WP4) but note this proposal is genuinely multi-pillar. Budget basis is $0.24, not $0.25 — slightly different peg than the Hydra norm. 24% effective discount on ADA peg vs current proposers using $0.25. Single tranche structure: 4 equal 25% tranches against agreement signing + interim report + Q3 R&D session + year-end final report."
  },
  "source": {
    "channels": [
      "onchain"
    ],
    "hydra_id": null,
    "onchain_tx_hash": null,
    "onchain_action_id": null
  },
  "identity": {
    "title": "Cardano Vision 2026 (CV26)",
    "proposer_name": "Input Output Research (IOR) — IOG-led consortium of 9 R&D partners",
    "proposer_type": "coalition",
    "proposer_url": null,
    "doxxed": true,
    "primary_contact": "Aggelos Kiayias (Chief Scientist, IOG; Chair in Cyber Security and Privacy, University of Edinburgh)",
    "team_size_disclosed": 36,
    "team_size_disclosed_note": "36 FTEs across IOR (19.5 FTE research) + ARC (17.5 FTE technology innovation). Plus Cardano Business Unit (CBU) for product alignment. 9-partner consortium: IOG, Edinburgh, Institute of Science Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Sydney, UC Berkeley, Oxford, ZHAW Zurich, Eryx."
  },
  "classification": {
    "official_pillar": "Infrastructure & Research Excellence",
    "official_pillar_confidence": "stated",
    "working_category_suggestion": "R&D",
    "working_category_confidence": "high",
    "tags": [
      "research",
      "ior",
      "cardano-vision",
      "consensus",
      "leios",
      "peras",
      "post-quantum",
      "zk",
      "layer-2",
      "formal-methods",
      "governance-research",
      "identity",
      "sharding",
      "babel-fees",
      "iog"
    ]
  },
  "ask": {
    "ada_amount": 32916667,
    "ada_amount_note": "Total programme cost. Body text gives ₳32.917M but more precise figure ₳32,916,667 implied by $7.9M / $0.24 peg. NCL compliance section explicitly confirms within remaining 350M NCL.",
    "usd_amount": 7900000,
    "usd_peg_price": 0.24,
    "pegged": true,
    "currency_basis": "usd_pegged",
    "duration_months": 12,
    "milestone_count": 4,
    "milestone_payments_disclosed": true,
    "raw_ask_text": "The total proposed budget of ₳32.917M ($7.9M) funds all IOR activities across IOR (research), ARC (technology), and CBU (product), supporting a combined 36 FTEs. This equates to an average cost of approximately $219.5k per FTE per year (or ~$946 per day based on 232 working days), inclusive of all associated costs. IOR proposes that funds are released in four equal tranches of 25%, subject to achievement of the following funding milestones: 1) Execution of the Services Agreement; 2) Submission of the mid-year interim report; 3) Delivery of the Q3 Cardano R&D session & report; 4) Submission of the year-end final report. All amounts in this proposal are denominated in ada (₳). The total Treasury ask is ₳32.916,667. USD figures ($7,900,000) are provided for reference only, based on an ADA/USD rate of 0.24."
  },
  "treasury_return": {
    "has_return_clause": true,
    "types": [
      "unspent_funds"
    ],
    "expected_return_pct": null,
    "expected_return_pct_note": "Conditional: all undisbursed funds at end of delivery period return to treasury. Partial delivery or scope reduction returns proportional unspent funds. No price-peg surplus return clause (denomination is ADA, USD is reference only).",
    "raw_return_text": "Refund Conditions: All funds not disbursed by the end of the delivery period will be returned to the Cardano Treasury. A final reconciliation will be published as part of the oversight reporting cycle. In the event of partial delivery or scope reduction, unspent funds associated with cancelled or reduced deliverables will be returned proportionally."
  },
  "lifecycle": {
    "pipeline_state": "onchain_live",
    "hydra_submitted_at": null,
    "hydra_close_at": null,
    "hydra_support_pct": null,
    "onchain_submitted_at": null,
    "onchain_vote_close_at": null,
    "onchain_result": null,
    "status_last_checked_at": "2026-05-11T14:30:00Z"
  },
  "links": {
    "hydra_url": null,
    "adastat_url": null,
    "ipfs_cid": null,
    "ipfs_gateway_url": "https://ipnso-com.ipns.dweb.link/?cid=QmbrCWbfcJYUeBVzTkqRFUNej86YAcEwiDkQNgY2gWrq1X",
    "github_url": null,
    "website_url": null,
    "forum_thread_url": null,
    "other": [
      {
        "label": "Sundae Labs Treasury Contract framework",
        "url": "https://github.com/SundaeSwap-finance/treasury-contracts"
      },
      {
        "label": "Mainnet validation transaction (Disburse action)",
        "url": null
      },
      {
        "label": "Treasury Reserve Smart Contract address",
        "url": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "content": {
    "abstract": "Cardano Vision 2026 (CV26) delivers a structured end-to-end innovation pipeline that translates foundational research into deployable system capabilities. Building on CV25 (delivery exceeded targets by 20%), executed through an integrated IO Research delivery model combining research (IOR), applied engineering (ARC), and product alignment (Cardano Business Unit). Anchored around three priorities: Human-centred design, Scalability (Leios/Peras, L2, ZK, sharding), Post-quantum security. Organised into 7 work packages. Delivers 42 outputs: 38 papers/reports, 8 Cardano Problem Statements, 12 prototypes, 5 CIPs.",
    "problem_statement": "Cardano needs a structured innovation pipeline that converts research into deployed protocol capabilities. The 2030 strategy requires advances in consensus security (MEV, Leios/Peras integration), post-quantum cryptography, layer-2 scaling with ZK verification, developer platform (Plutus formal methods, light clients, Babel fees), cross-chain interoperability, multi-resource consensus, governance incentives, and decentralised identity. IOR has produced 250+ peer-reviewed papers, with ~20% implemented in Cardano — the next challenge is improving the consistency and speed of research-to-deployment translation.",
    "proposed_solution": "7 work packages aligned to ecosystem outcomes: WP1 Trust, Security & Reliability Infrastructure (consensus, post-quantum, node security); WP2 Scalability & Execution Layer (congestion control, sharding feasibility, communication infra, L2 + ZK); WP3 Developer Platform & UX (Plutus, light clients via Cavefish, Babel fees); WP4 Applications & Liquidity (bridges, atomic swaps, agent chains); WP5 Economic Systems & Incentives (SPO incentives, resource diversification, effective-TPS metrics); WP6 Governance, Identity & Social Infrastructure (CIP-1694 governance, proof-of-personhood, verifiable credentials); WP7 Delivery, Dissemination & Partnerships.",
    "deliverables": [
      "5 Cardano Improvement Proposals (CIPs)",
      "8 Cardano Problem Statements (CPSs)",
      "~12 prototypes",
      "~38 peer-reviewed papers and technical reports",
      "Leios/Peras adversarial analysis and integration design",
      "Post-quantum cryptography baseline + novel PQ VRF construction with formal proof",
      "HSM-backed node key management prototype",
      "Data availability framework for L2",
      "ZK verification toolkit + zk-rollup security analysis",
      "EasySM prototype for verifiable smart contract development",
      "Cavefish light client protocol + decentralised API/indexer",
      "Babel fees + intent execution market designs",
      "Mithril bridge verification prototype",
      "Atomic swap prototype + agent chain specification",
      "SPO incentive models + parameter recommendations",
      "PoUW protocol design",
      "Governance DSL prototype",
      "Proof-of-personhood prototype",
      "Verifiable credentials with selective disclosure"
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "name": "Tranche 1",
        "deliverable": "Execution of the Services Agreement",
        "ada_release": 8229167,
        "deadline": null
      },
      {
        "name": "Tranche 2",
        "deliverable": "Submission of the mid-year interim report",
        "ada_release": 8229167,
        "deadline": null
      },
      {
        "name": "Tranche 3",
        "deliverable": "Delivery of the Q3 Cardano R&D session & report",
        "ada_release": 8229167,
        "deadline": null
      },
      {
        "name": "Tranche 4",
        "deliverable": "Submission of the year-end final report",
        "ada_release": 8229167,
        "deadline": null
      }
    ],
    "team": [
      {
        "name": "Aggelos Kiayias",
        "role": "Chief Scientist, IOG; Programme lead",
        "background": "Architect of Ouroboros; Chair in Cyber Security and Privacy at University of Edinburgh; FRSE, BCS Lovelace Medal 2024, ACM Fellow 2025, IACR Fellow 2026"
      }
    ],
    "risks_disclosed": [
      "System complexity & integration at scale across multi-layer architecture",
      "Protocol & cryptography risk (MEV, non-linear Leios/Peras interactions, PQ overhead, ZK verification limits)",
      "Interoperability & execution risk (bridge trust models, intent/solver coordination)",
      "Economic & incentive risk (SPO misalignment, multi-resource models)",
      "System & operational risk (HSM hardware, EUTxO developer friction)",
      "Adoption uncertainty and execution gaps between research and deployment"
    ]
  },
  "metadata": {
    "open_source": "yes",
    "open_source_url": null,
    "has_prior_funding": true,
    "prior_funding_sources": [
      "Cardano Vision 2025 — ₳26,840,000 received, 100% of allocation, ₳4.16B in favour (79.81% support)",
      "IO/affiliated entities total Treasury allocation: ₳130,708,860 across multiple projects; ₳78,459,777 withdrawn to date",
      "Workstreams: Blockfrost (₳1.14M, 88%), Catalyst (₳3.10M, 60%), IOE (₳47.16M, 49%), IOR (₳26.84M, 100%), Governance (₳227K, 38%)"
    ],
    "has_prior_delivery": true,
    "prior_delivery_evidence": "CV25 delivery exceeded targets by 20%: 20 research streams, 24 peer-reviewed papers. Tangible protocol progress: Leios + Peras (Crypto '25 publication), fair transaction ordering, first formal bridge security framework, Cavefish light client, Shapley-based reward models, AGATE + UC-SNARKs ZK frameworks. 8 technology validation streams advanced (Leios prototype → engineering with CIP; Phalanx anti-grinding formalised; Jolteon prototype-ready; RSnarks ZK verification on-chain feasibility). Over 250 peer-reviewed papers across IOR history with ~20% implemented in Cardano.",
    "is_administered_by_intersect": true,
    "administration_fee_pct": null,
    "duplicate_of_existing_solution": "no",
    "duplicate_notes": "CV26 explicitly scopes OUT several adjacent workstreams: Linear Leios productionisation (in IO Consensus Initiative), Midgard L2 data-availability (in IO & Midgard Labs L2 Initiative), Babel Fees production MVP (in IO Cardano Upgrades), node optimisation/benchmarking (in IO & Ensurable Systems Cardano Maintenance Initiative), bridge development (in ZK Bridge + Pogun proposals). Reads as a coordinated set of IO-led proposals with deliberate boundary-drawing. Worth tracking the full bundle against NCL together."
  },
  "_meta": {
    "title": "Cardano Vision 2026 (CV26)",
    "proposer": "Input Output Research (IOR) — IOG-led consortium of 9 R&D partners"
  }
}