Today a new Budget Info Action has been submitted for community consideration. The Cardano Critical Integrations Budget proposes a ₳70,000,000 allocation from the Treasury to fund a coordinated program of ecosystem-critical integrations. It represents a coalition of Input | Output, EMURGO, the Cardano Foundation, Intersect, and the Midnight Foundation, demonstrating their shared commitment to addressing key ecosystem enablers as we look to hit the ground running in 2026. 

The goal of the proposal is simple. Cardano needs a set of core infrastructure layers to unlock stablecoins, attract deeper liquidity, support institutional participation, and expand the possibilities for DeFi, RWAs, and DePIN. These integrations cannot be delivered in isolation. They require a shared, ecosystem-wide commitment that brings the right partners to Cardano in a structured and accountable way.

Why this matters

Despite Cardano’s strong foundations, several key components remain missing or underdeveloped. These include tier-one stablecoin infrastructure, institutional digital asset custody and wallets, cross-chain bridges, pricing oracles, and advanced on-chain analytics. Most major ecosystems treat these as standard utilities. Without them, Cardano’s ability to scale meaningful economic activity is limited.

Over the past months, the core entities have advanced negotiations with multiple tier-one integration partners. These discussions are now mature, and the community has the opportunity to fund the work needed to bring these capabilities to Cardano. Intersect’s role as administrator is fully supported and endorsed by our governing board, the majority of whom are elected by our members, ensuring this proposal is grounded in a clear member-led mandate.

The Five Critical Pillars of Growth

If approved by Delegated Representatives (DReps) and the Constitutional Committee (CC), the budget seeks to establish a fund which will be exclusively dedicated to onboarding tier-one infrastructure components such as:

1. Tier-one Stablecoins: Trusted, high-liquidity digital currency options, necessary for DeFi and as a reliable unit of account in RWA tokenization and DePIN payments.
2. Institutional Custody and Wallets: Securing best-in-class infrastructure for asset custody and wallet management ensures a high-quality, secure user experience for large-scale and institutional entrants.
3. On-Chain Analytics: Essential for maturity. Advanced analytics will provide the transparent, real-time data compliance teams and institutional investors require to manage risk and participate confidently.
4. Cross-Chain Bridges: Breaking down the walls! This infrastructure will create secure, vital pathways for liquidity and users to flow freely between Cardano and other major ecosystems.
5. Globally Recognized Pricing Oracles: The bedrock for advanced finance. Securing an institutional-grade oracle network is the foundational step that enables tier-one stablecoins, RWA, and complex DeFi applications to safely deploy.

A coordinated step into 2026

The submission of this budget represents a coordinated effort by the founding entities, the Midnight Foundation, and Intersect to present a shared approach to several long-standing integration needs within the ecosystem. It sits alongside other ongoing initiatives across Cardano, including the launch of Midnight, developments in Bitcoin DeFi, and protocol enhancements such as Ouroboros Leios, Midgard, and Starstream.

If approved, the budget would provide a structured mechanism to progress a set of integrations that many ecosystem participants have identified as priorities, including stablecoin infrastructure, liquidity pathways, and cross-chain connectivity.

Look out for X Spaces next week! 

View the Budget Info Action on-chain and vote now