Welcome to another jam-packed update. In one of Intersect's most active weeks, we count down to the last moments of the Intersect elections (we’re super excited to find out who you have chosen). We also outline our recent annual members’ meetings (AMMs) in Sri Lanka and Ghana and have updates from the Chang #2 upgrade, community hubs, governance tooling, and much more!

We want to spotlight the Intersect Discord before diving into the update. If you're a member of Intersect and wondering what's next, have you joined our Discord community yet? It’s the perfect place to find where to contribute and get involved. Start by exploring key channels like Rules, Important Links, FAQs, and announcements to get familiar with everything.

Lastly, you can contact support for assistance with application errors, login issues, or unanswered questions. Please always use the email address associated with your membership when contacting support!

Intersect elections 2024 - Only two voting days left 

The 2024 Intersect elections will close on Sunday, October 20, at 10:00 am UTC. So, if you are a member and haven’t yet voted, get your skates on!

This is a pivotal moment in our governance structure, with seven key committees and two seats on the governing board up for election. With less than two days left, now is the time to make your voice heard and contribute to Intersect's future. Vote today and help shape the future of our community!

Members can vote for 50% of the seats across seven committees, which impact key areas of Cardano's development. The remaining seats are up for election in April 2025.

Meet the candidates — review profiles of the committee and board election candidates using the links below:

• Committee election candidates
• Board election candidates

Candidates can still promote themselves on this Discord channel and take questions from the community.

Voting process — registered members can cast their votes through the member portal. If you're new to the process, check out this Loom video to learn how it works.

Important dates to remember

• October 20: voting closes at 10:00 am UTC.
• October 23: election results will be announced at the Cardano Summit in Dubai and made available on the member portal.

For more details, visit the Intersect Election 2024 knowledge base, which provides comprehensive information about the election process, candidate details, and more.

Current voting stats?
With just two days left to vote and a total of 1558 possible individual voters, we’re seeing a turnout of 28.4% thus far—if you haven’t voted yet please do! Having said this, given that each voter can vote for up to the number of available seats, the total number of votes cast is 5243 thus far. The current stats are as follows:

Available Seats: Number of seats for each committee or board open for election. 
Total Voters: The number of members who voted for each committee or board. 
Total Votes: The number of votes cast, with each voter able to vote for up to the number of available seats.

Budget committee update
The budget committee is gearing up for its upcoming presentation at next week’s Cardano Summit, where they will offer an overview of the Cardano Budget process for 2025 and its current progress. This presentation aims to provide stakeholders and community members with a clear understanding of how the budget has been developed, its purpose, and the tangible value it will deliver. The committee will cover several key points during their presentation:

The purpose of the Cardano budget: the presentation will start by outlining the core purpose of the 2025 budget, which is to fuel sustainable growth and innovation within the Cardano ecosystem. The committee will explain how the budget is designed to drive key infrastructure development, enhance community engagement, support decentralized governance, and fund impactful projects that align with Cardano’s long-term vision of a fully decentralized and scalable blockchain network.

The process of collating the budget: next, the committee will examine the rigorous process of compiling the budget. This involves a transparent and collaborative approach to which multiple stakeholders—including technical teams, governance bodies, and community representatives—have contributed. 

How the budget will be managed: attendees will be provided with an overview of the governance framework that will guide the management of the 2025 budget. The committee will explain the mechanisms for monitoring, auditing, and adjusting the budget as necessary to respond to evolving challenges and opportunities. This section will focus on maintaining transparency and accountability, including regular reporting and community oversight, to ensure that funds are allocated efficiently and effectively.

The value to be delivered in 2025: one of the most anticipated parts of the presentation will be exploring the expected outcomes from the 2025 budget. The committee will provide a view of each committee's deliverables in 2025.

Next steps in the process: to conclude, the committee will outline the next steps following the presentation of the 2025 budget. This will include a timeline for implementation, community feedback sessions, and the final approval process through Cardano’s on-chain governance mechanisms. They will emphasize the importance of ongoing collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that the budget is agile and adaptable, meeting the dynamic needs of the ecosystem as it evolves throughout the year. 

Furthermore, they will touch on how lessons learned during the 2025 cycle will shape future budgets, ensuring continuous improvement in budget planning and execution. Stay tuned to Intersect channels for further updates from the budget committee.

Chang #2 hard fork progress
In November 2024, the process to enact the Chang upgrade begins, ushering in a critical phase for Cardano’s governance evolution. While governance is in bootstrap mode, the decision to upgrade will be determined by Cardano’s stake pool operators(SPOs) reaching the required threshold and the Interim constitution committee(ICC) voting ‘yes’ accordingly. The ICC cannot vote ‘yes’ until 90 days after Chang #1, as set out in the interim constitution. Delegated representatives(DReps) do not vote during the hard fork process; they only become part of governance after Chang #2 has been enacted

Intersect’s role is to help coordinate and facilitate Cardano upgrades, which intrinsically involve our members and the broader Cardano community. We will provide regular updates on the upgrade's progress, including any developments or changes to the timeline. The current roadmap anticipates a pre-release of Cardano node v10 for testing in mid-October.



Where to find information
We appreciate the community's support and engagement throughout this process. Here are the official channels where you can find the latest updates on Chang #2:

• Chang #2 Timeline Blog - A more detailed timeline update
• Chang #2 knowledge space - for the most detailed and up-to-date information
• Intersect Discord #wg-hardfork channel - join the conversation and stay engaged with real-time updates
• Intersect Twitter (@Intersectmbo) - follow us for critical announcements and highlights

DReps - Cardano governance explained
With the Chang upgrade, Cardano's governance is driven by ada holders, who can either vote directly on governance actions (GA) or delegate their power to registered Delegated Representatives (DReps), much like delegating to stake pool operators. The upcoming Chang #2 upgrade will further decentralize decision-making and strengthen DReps’ roles by ensuring a more equitable distribution of voting power, preventing large holders from monopolizing governance.

DReps will play a crucial role in the governance process by actively engaging with the community, lobbying for support, and advocating for the best interests of the Cardano ecosystem. Continuous communication with ada holders is vital, as DReps must regularly update their delegators on their voting stances and governance decisions. By maintaining this dialogue, DReps can build trust and ensure their actions align with the community's will while encouraging broader participation in governance.

Becoming a DRep
Think you have what it takes to be a DRep? Any ada holder can become a DRep by registering through platforms like GovTool. DReps are responsible for submitting, reviewing, and voting on governance actions for all those who delegate their voting power. This requires DReps to lobby for support and maintain transparency in their actions to uphold the trust of their delegators. This system ensures that decisions in Cardano’s governance reflect the community’s voice. More details on becoming a DRep can be found here.

DRep working group
This is an exciting update for members! We've launched the DRep working group, where we’ll hold weekly sessions to empower DReps with the tools, guidance, and support needed for informed budget decisions. If you're a member, don't miss out – your insights are key! Head over to the #Wg-dreps-budget-approval channel on Discord.

Membership and community
Intersect is proud to warmly welcome our newest enterprise members: Inkuba, Metafuter, Awen, Modus Create LLC, Rare Network, Token Mithrandir, Sidan Lab Limited, and Chainapp Technologies. We look forward to collaborating with you all!

As our community expands, we are reminded of the power of collaboration, diversity, and shared goals. Each organization brings unique expertise and insights, enriching our ecosystem and driving us forward on the path toward decentralized governance.

Our first founding members joined us this time last year, and Intersect has gone from strength to strength ever since. We are now 3,000+ strong, including over 1,600 paid members (individual or enterprise). Thank you to all our members and associates for bringing Intersect this far in such a short time. 

Note: for those who’d like to upgrade their membership from associate to individual or enterprise, log in to your members' area and follow the steps or contact the membership team members@intersectmbo.org.

This week's membership stats are as follows:

Annual members'  meeting in Accra, Ghana
Nick Cook and Gemma Dakin enjoyed attending the AMM in Accra, Ghana, with our WADA hub members. The event hosted 34 people in person and members from Kenya who joined online.

It was essential for Nick and Gemma to understand how things function on the ground and recognize the priorities of the community in general in African regions. They learned a great deal to take back to the Intersect core team. It was also inspirational to have five candidates in the room who were in the election process. All of us at Intersect wish them the best of luck.

The retrospective exercise collected plenty of feedback, which we will share in the broader conversation after all the AMM sessions.

Head of Membership & Community Nick Cook and Head of Community Grants Gemma Dakin.

The region of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, requested that the AMM be shared with them in French. Gemma Dakin led the session, translating the slides and supporting the AMMs to be as inclusive as possible. 

 Boaz Bandu Balume Goma hub lead (left) with Intersect member Innocent Ndeze (right)

Annual members'  meeting in Sri Lanka
We are excited to share the success of the first-ever Intersect annual members’ meeting in Sri Lanka. The event saw an impressive turnout, with 141 attendees, including members, stakeholders, and community leaders from across the globe.

This significant gathering provided a platform for engaging discussions on governance, development, and the future of Intersect's role within the Cardano ecosystem. Attendees could participate in workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions, fostering collaboration and innovation. Watch a short video for a sneak peek of the event.

In addition to the insightful exchanges, the event garnered media attention:

• TV news coverage: our meeting was featured on Sri Lankan television. Watch the full feature.
• Press coverage: DailyFT, a leading publication in Sri Lanka, highlighted the event with an article on the collaboration between CoinCeylon and Intersect. Read the full article here.
• Radio coverage: the Hub Manager, Kavinda Kariyapperuma, and Lawrence Clark were invited to speak on Lite878's morning prime-time show. Read more about this in the community hub section later in the report.

The Sri Lankan meeting marks a pivotal moment in our journey, reflecting the strength and growth of the Intersect community. We look forward to building on this momentum as we advance Cardano’s governance.

From left to right - Isuru Mahanama, Malik Fouze, Kavinda Kariyapperuma, Lawrence Clark, Reshan Fernando, Sanjaya Wanigasekara

Where next?
In next weeks’ edition, we’ll bring the highlights from the AMM in Mexico City, followed by our last AMM in Austin, Texas. Check out the AMM Q&A session on Intersect’s YouTube channel—don’t forget to like and subscribe!

Upcoming Intersect town hall and after town hall event
Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 24, at 4:00 pm UTC for the next Intersect Town Hall—register here! This is your opportunity to connect with the broader Intersect community, engage in discussions, and provide valuable feedback. Hosted by the Swarm Town Hall team, this event aims to gather insights from attendees on how future town halls can be improved.

The after town hall session will follow the main event, offering a platform for anyone to host a room on a topic they’re passionate about. The Swarm team can assist with planning, documentation, and facilitation—just let us know in the signup form.

We also want your thoughts about our town halls, so please complete our survey here. 

Don’t miss this chance to shape the future of our community and governance efforts actively! To learn more about Town Halls, you can check Intersect Town Hall GitBook

Constitutional workshops 
Get involved by attending an online constitution workshop.
Intersect will host an online constitution workshop via Zoom on Monday, October 21, at 2:00 pm UTC. This workshop is open to all Intersect members and will provide an additional opportunity to discuss the draft Constitution and provide your feedback.  We will cover three key topics discussed in the global consultation workshops that have taken place over the summer, so it's a great chance to get involved and shape the future of Cardano. Sign up here.

You can also submit individual feedback if you cannot attend the workshop here. 

Governance action bot
A new governance action bot is now live on the Intersect Discord server—big thanks to Alex Karpov and Eystein Hansen for building this helpful tool. The bot is also available on X.

What does it do?
The bot will notify everyone in the community when a new governance action is submitted. This will help keep us all informed and involved in the governance process.

Intersect YouTube content
This week, Intersect’s YouTube channel went live with exciting new content showcasing the dynamic projects and community members forming its core.

We’re excited to share a highlight from the Las Vegas event, where we connected with Lara Bonasorte, our Head of Community. In this video, Lara dives into the various ongoing initiatives within our community and explains how anyone interested can get involved in the on-chain movement.

In addition, today, we’re releasing an engaging interview with Eystein Hanson, a key member of our civics committee. Eystein offers his perspective on civic responsibilities within Intersect, focusing on ways we can bolster decentralized governance and enhance civic participation. This is essential viewing for anyone passionate about the future of decentralized decision-making.

Follow us on YouTube for more updates, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content, keeping you informed and connected with our vibrant community!

Community hubs
As mentioned above, last week, our Africa hub, led by WADA, and our Sri Lanka hub, led by CoinCeylon, were busy hosting their annual members' meetings. Additionally, our Japan hub held a meet-up in Fukuoka to discuss Intersect and Cardano, with 20 attending. You can view a recap and some photos of the Japan event here.

As well as our remaining annual members'  meetings taking place this week hosted by our LATAM hub in Mexico City and our North America hub led by AWEN in Austin, Texas, the following additional activities are taking place within our hubs:

Japan hub

• Hosted a virtual annual members’ meeting in Japanese on October 17 with 34 attendees. We are also pleased to announce that we’ve sent out our first event invite to all members and associates in localized language for the Japanese virtual AMM with the help of Yuta, our Hub Manager!

Sri Lanka hub, led by Coin Ceylon

• On October 15, Kavinda Kariyapperuma, our Hub Manager, alongside our very own Lawrence Clark, Head of Business Operations at Intersect, was featured on a radio interview on Lite 878, Morning Drive, one of Sri Lanka’s leading lifestyle stations with a reach of over 150,000 listeners. The discussion centered around the mission of Intersect, Cardano, blockchain technology and its applications, the significance of the annual members’ meetings, and how community hubs are pivotal in promoting decentralized governance and innovation within the Cardano ecosystem. This media exposure further enhanced awareness and engagement with the local blockchain community. You can listen to the interview here.

Africa hub, led by WADA

• WADA X Space was held on October 15. You can listen to the recording here.

Community grants
We are delighted to announce that LidoNation has been awarded the GovTool governance action outcome grant. They will create a governance action outcomes section in Govtool.

Mellod Designs has also released its most recent series of videos on YouTube as part of its educational grant:

• Episode 9: Understanding  the Intersect elections 
• Episode 10: Understanding the budget committee
• Episode 11: Inside the civics committee’s game-changing moves
• Episode 12: Uncover the power of the membership and community committee

For a detailed breakdown, visit the grants page.

Governance tooling
Cardano GovTool
This week saw yet another release of GovTool, with key updates detailed in the release notes. The governance action expiration epoch and date are now displayed correctly, and voting power is now adequately calculated.

We are happy to share that the governance action outcome grant is closed. The winner, LidoNation, was chosen after careful consideration, which involved all the existing builders: Byron, We Deliver, DQuadrant, and Bloxico.

GovTool, aligned with CIP-1694, allows ada holders to participate in Cardano governance via an intuitive interface for web wallets and DApps. Its core features include browsing for DReps to delegate to, registering as a DRep (with auto-generated metadata files), and proposing governance actions. DReps are empowered to vote and manage their profiles directly. For more information, refer to the Cardano GovTool documentation, compatible wallets, and known issues.

GovTool on the mainnet is in its bootstrapping phase, with a second hard fork planned in the coming weeks to enable full governance. All teams are working to ensure this transition supports full governance while maintaining system stability. Updates can be followed on SanchoNet and in the core-gov-tool-announcement Discord channel.

You can also check for compatible wallets and known issues.

CC-Portal
The CC-Portal will undergo several enhancements in the coming weeks, primarily focusing on improving navigation and overall user experience. This portal aims to offer easy access to the interim Cardano constitution and provide constitutional committee members with a streamlined interface for creating metadata as part of their on-chain voting rationale. Additionally, it serves as a platform for the Cardano community to better understand committee members' voting actions.

These improvements will make it easier for the constitutional committee and the wider Cardano community to engage with governance actions. The updates are expected to elevate both usability and transparency for all users.

Governance tools working group
The governance tools working group held another meeting this week, focusing on community backlog assessment and how we can incentivize its work and make it more transparent and compelling to the community and the whole ecosystem. You can track the community backlog here.

The working group continues to invite community members to participate in discussions and feature development for the Cardano GovTool. All feedback is welcome (see guide on feedback), and ongoing conversations are held in the wg-governance-tools Discord channel, where new feature ideas are regularly triaged and implemented.

Governance in numbers
As we progress following Chang upgrade #1, follow the progress of governance actions on-chain here every week. Since last Friday, October 11, 2024:

• We've advanced from Epoch 514 to Epoch 516
• Unique delegators increased by 1,499 (9,624 -> 11,123)
• Total number of vote delegations increased by 1,568 (10,590 -> 12,158)
• Total DRep votes increased by 74 (237 -> 311)
• Total number of DRep registrations increased by 17 (554 -> 571)
• DReps who have attached metadata increased by 8 (282 -> 290)

To learn how to start using Cardano GovTool, explore GovTool documentation. Here, you'll find everything from step-by-step guides to detailed explanations of its features.

On the Intersect Discord server, you can connect to the core maintainers of governance tools via the new request and new help & support channels under Core Governance Tools in Discord.

Important member resources

• Intersect knowledge base - frequently updated, our knowledge base provides granular detail on our internal governance structure, committees and working groups, and funding opportunities, among many other items.
• Intersect website - the latest news, roadmap, and more.
• Support - Please always use your Membership email address and contact Intersect for Support with any application errors, login issues, or questions without answers.
• GovTool - take part in testing governance actions on the SanchoNet testnet.
• Discord / Telegram - join our lively community and interact with committees, working groups, and other members.
• Intersect events calendar - keep up-to-date with all events Intersect hosts, such as working group and committee meetings, X spaces, and more.
• Social - we are continually active on Twitter (X) and LinkedIn, so follow us there to stay updated on our latest news and insights.

 

Well, that’s it for this week's update. Thanks for reading! 

And finally, we’re interested in hearing more from you about subjects important to you, such as Cardano’s governance. Your ideas and suggestions are crucial to us. If you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions, please get in touch via email, X, or LinkedIn.