Participants

Established by a group of leading technical contributors to the Cardano ecosystem, CDEC is a non-exclusive group that values diverse contributions. Over recent months, more than 80 Cardano development organizations have discussed their potential contribution and participation of the cooperative.

The founding participants include:

AdaStat.net

AdaStat.net - a comprehensive Cardano Blockchain Explorer that provides access to both on-chain and off-chain Cardano data, including blocks, transactions, pools, addresses, accounts, epochs, NFTs/FTs, DReps, governance actions, and more. In developing AdaStat, we aimed to make it valuable for various user groups, including regular ADA holders, SPOs, and DRep

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Anastasia Labs Logo

Anastasia Labs - A Haskell consultancy specialized in developing mission-critical blockchain applications. Currently developing a number of Cardano related projects including Midgard, a layer 2 for Cardano.

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Anvil Development Agency Logo

Anvil Development Agency - Anvil Development Agency is a leading SaaS company specializing in the development of advanced digital solutions for both Web3-native clients and traditional retail clients transitioning into the Web3 space. We specialize in Smart Contracts, APIs, and full stack custom solutions for projects.

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BCryptic Logo

BCryptic LLC - Provides code and specification auditing services for cryptographic protocols with a focus on blockchain and decentralized ledger technology (DLT)

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Charli3

Charli3 - The first decentralized Oracle on Cardano. Offering a diverse range of industry leading data delivery services.

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Clarity Logo

Clarity - Make community governance and management tools for Cardano projects.

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Cypher Logo

Cypher Enterprises - Cypher Enterprises is the development team behind the Summon Platform offering innovative solutions for blockchain governance, community empowerment, and smart contract development.

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DC Spark Logo

DC Spark - Builds high-quality crypto products that enhance user experience within blockchain ecosystems. They focus on interoperability and composability, contributing to decentralized open-source projects like Shinkai Network, Zeko, and Paima Engine. Their work supports finance, gaming, and more, with a commitment to innovation and transparency.

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Dquadrant Logo

Dquadrant - A open source software development company specialized in Haskell development (among other languages), developing mission-critical blockchain solutions, providing smart contract auditing and quality assurance testing. Developed several open source solutions like: Kuber library, Kuber IDE, Autonomous Agent Testing and more next to executing QAT for several Cardano hard forks, Gov Tool and Constitutional Convention Voting Tool. Currently we are working on integration of Hydra into our Kuber transaction library. Contributed to several Intersect WG's like OSC, Governance and Utility WG from the start. Been working as a Plutus/Haskkell development partner for IOG since early 2020 after creating our own PAB in Haskell when Cardano didn't have smart contracts yet. in 2024 we became a continiuty partner of Intersect. We joined Cardano in 2017 from the start, established Dquadrant in 2020 for our developments on Cardano. Over 15 years experience as a individual software vendor building open source solutions for enterprise clients.

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DripDropz Logo

DripDropz - Cardano’s rewards layer platform, providing projects with the fastest, most trusted token delivery and incentive solutions on the Cardano blockchain. Discover your next favorite project on DripDropz.io.

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FluidTokens Logo

FluidTokens - DeFi ecosystem building on Cardano since 2022 and on Bitcoin since 2024. Innovating and building unexplored fields on utxo chains.

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Galois Logo

Galois - World-renowned engineering company responsible for the implementation of recursive zero-knowledge proofs in Halo2 and development of Cardano Network Service Assurance.

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IAMX AG

IAMX AG - Digitize and automate your compliance - We have specialized our identity and, in particular, our onboarding solutions in blockchain projects and have successfully launched them on the market.

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IO Engineering Logo

Input | Output Engineering - Input | Output (IO)’s Cardano core development team, responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the Haskell implementation of Ouroboros consensus protocol, Plutus platform, ledger, node, and network infrastructure. Works closely with IOR to implement state of the art innovations into practical solutions.

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IO Research Logo

Input | Output Research - IO’s research division focuses on providing fundamental research and rapid innovation of blockchain technologies, including the Ouroboros family of consensus protocols. IOR produces peer-reviewed academic papers and technical specifications that are prototyped and validated using formal methods to ensure an evidenced-based engineering approach with high assurance.

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Koios Logo

Koios - A community-run Infrastructure services to assist with core network operations - across scripts for SPO operations (eg: CNTools/gLiveView), wallet management and a distributed elastic scalable query layer.

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Kora Labs (ADA Handle) Logo

Kora Labs (ADA Handle) - ADA Handle is a user-friendly, memorable name that acts as a proxy for a complex Cardano wallet address, allowing users to send and receive cryptocurrency on the Cardano blockchain using a simple, human-readable identifier instead of a long string of numbers and letters; essentially, it's like a domain name for your Cardano wallet address, making transactions easier to manage.

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Lantr Logo

Lantr - A blockchain R&D Lab dedicated to advancing Cardano's infrastructure and building mission-critical decentralised products and solutions. They focus on interoperability and scalability, actively working on the Cardano Scala/JVM/JS/Native infrastructure (Scalus Development Platform, Scala/JVM/Native node), as well as Layer 2 protocols (Hydrozoa, Cosmex).

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MLabs Logo

MLabs - Has contributed to numerous Cardano project launches, provided security audits, and participated in key feature development for PlutusCore - including the Bit level operations added over the last nine months. Also contributors to the Polkadot and Solana ecosystems.

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NFTCDN Logo

NFTCDN - Enabling the seamless delivery and display of all types of NFT media (images, videos, audio, documents, etc) along with their associated metadata through a high-speed, globally distributed Content Delivery Network. By eliminating the costs and time involved in designing, building, testing, and maintaining a complex end-to-end pipeline, we help teams accelerate their go-to-market strategy and concentrate on product innovation rather than infrastructure management.

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Obsidian Systems Logo

Obsidian Systems - Since 2014, a leading consultancy in the functional programming space, with specialties in Haskell and Nix. Contributors across a number of Cardano projects including Hydra, the company is also involved with the Tezos, Kadena and Nervos ecosystems.

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Orcfax Logo

Orcfax Ltd. - A decentralized, and Cardano native, oracle solution which is focused on the open-source development of decentralizing technologies for both positive social impact and broader Cardano ecosystem maturity. The Orcfax team is committed to, and continues to emphasize, the development of robust systems for securing the veracity and authenticity of real-world data on-chain.

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Palo IT Logo

PaloIT - a global technology consultancy that designs, develops and scales digital and sustainable products and services to unlock value across the triple bottom line: people, planet, profit. Responsible for development of Mithril network and co-Development of the Lace Dapp Store.

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Predictable Netwrok Solutions Logo

PNSol - Performance engineering specialists , particularly responsible for the design and implementation of Cardano’s networking layer.

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Project Catalyst Logo

Project Catalyst - Project Catalyst is Cardano's innovation engine and one of the world's largest decentralized grant funding programs.

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Quviq Logo

Quviq - A leader in property-based testing, offering services like model development and testing as a service. Quviq specializes in automatic test case generation with tools like QuickCheck, enhancing software quality by uncovering hidden bugs and optimizing test coverage. They cater to industries such as telecom, automotive, and Internet of Things (IoT), providing innovative solutions for complex testing challenges.

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Self Driven Foundation Logo

Self Driven Foundation - Focuses on empowering communities to self-actuate through innovative frameworks for learning and organization. They offer tools and services for personal and community development, supported by tech and research initiatives. Projects include educational platforms and resources for decentralized governance, leveraging Cardano's blockchain technology.

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Socious Logo

Socious - Socious is a decentralized talent marketplace that uses blockchain for verifiable credentials and AI for matching individuals to meaningful jobs.

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Sundae Labs Logo

Sundae Labs - has created numerous open source projects on Cardano, and contributed to hydra, Hydra Doom. Currently collaborating with Well-Typed and IOE on Ouroboros Leios.

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Trivolve Tech

Trivolve Tech - Trivolve Tech is a development studio specializing in open source blockchain and AI solutions. We have also built enterprise grade solutions for governments and fractionalize Real World Assets (RWAs). Some of our known projects are GRNT 1 with finest, Trivolve ADA Payment Gateway, Docufi3d, Quixy, Cardano Codex etc. We work with cutting-edge technologies across Cardano.

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Tweag Logo

Tweag by Modus Create - The Open Source Program Office of Modus Create, a software consulting firm. Specializes in functional programming and formal methods. Contributions to core Cardano infrastructure include the plutus-apps repository and various performance optimization initiatives. Known for their expertise in Haskell and formal verification methodologies.

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TxPipe Logo

TxPipe - Accelerates blockchain adoption by enhancing the developer experience with innovative open-source tools for the Cardano ecosystem. Its key projects include Demeter, a robust platform for dApp middleware and scaling; Scrolls, advanced tools for efficient data management; Oura, enabling seamless stream processing integration; Pallas, a versatile Rust development library; Dolos, an optimized data node for reliable operations; and Boros, a streamlined solution for transaction submission management.

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Vacuum Labs Logo

Vacuum Labs - Provides engineering, design, product development, and data science services for the fintech industry. Responsible for Cardano Trezor and Ledger integrations, developers on AdaLite, NuFi, Wingriders and many other DApps. A lot of fintech and bank development such as MOX Bank in Hong Kong and many others.

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Wanchain Logo

Wanchain - Wanchain is a global leader in decentralised blockchain interoperability and creator of the blockchain industry’s first decentralised cross-chain bridge. Since its founding in 2017, Wanchain has remained committed to driving blockchain adoption by establishing a unified decentralised network of blockchains built on industry-wide standards and specifications. Wanchain’s cross-chain infrastructure, renowned for its engineering rigor and industry-best uptime, empowers developers to build truly decentralised cross-chain applications to power the future of Web3. Today, this decentralised infrastructure supports countless products across dozens of EVM and non-EVM networks.

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Well Typed Logo

Well-Typed - Cardano core developers led by Duncan Coutts, which has contributed since the early days and prior to mainnet launch. Designed and implemented much of the core Cardano architecture and the hard fork combinator and continues to work on projects such as Ouroboros Leios.

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Wolfram Blockchain Labs Logo

Wolfram Blockchain Labs - Wolfram Blockchain Labs (WBL), a subsidiary of Wolfram Research, delivers tools and infrastructure to support the development of applications on Cardano, including real-time data, analytics, and oracle services.

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Xerberus Logo

Xerberus - An auditing and analysis business and decentralized oracle network providing transparent, quantitative, and real-time reporting across crypto markets. Xerberus uncovered the truth behind several high-profile crime cases, such as the Ardana collapse. Additionally, Xerberus has developed the first truly functional risk rating system for crypto assets, increasing the overall perception of Cardano as a technology leader

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zkFold Logo

zkFold - a team of zero-knowledge proof (ZK) experts developing a ZK app framework, a smart contract wallet backend, and a ZK Rollup for Cardano. Our rollup is designed to enhance scalability by reducing transaction fees by up to 100x while ensuring strong privacy features and Layer 1 security.

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And this is just the start. Over recent months, CDEC has approached more than 80 Cardano development organizations to discuss involvement with CDEC. The intent is to grow CDEC over time, including teams delivering key ecosystem infrastructure and open-source tools. CDEC will announce further participants over the weeks ahead as more contributors join.

Together, CDEC aims to provide a cooperative approach to advancing Cardano’s technical roadmap while fostering innovation and aligning with the community's vision, supporting each other as we navigate and contribute to Cardano’s new governance processes while ensuring accountability to the community that shapes its future.

Why we are working together

As projects and companies deeply invested in advancing Cardano’s technical development, we are committed to aligning our efforts with the broader community’s needs and vision. The principles of transparency and accountability drive collaboration that benefits the entire Cardano ecosystem.

Our mission and objectives:

  1. Enhance supplier diversity: expanding the number and diversity of contributors strengthens Cardano’s resilience and robustness. We promote openness and transparency through participation in Intersect’s fair tender procedures, promoting equal opportunities for all. Our goal is to foster healthy competition within the ecosystem, thereby creating a more inclusive and dynamic environment.

  2. Promote technical knowledge sharing and growth: by encouraging participants to bring resources, expertise, and innovative ideas to the table, we aim to address key challenges in Cardano’s core infrastructure and ecosystem tooling. We plan to support new contributors by facilitating mentorship opportunities and public knowledge transfer to create an environment where more developers can contribute meaningfully to Cardano’s advancement.

  3. Advocate for sustainable funding: we plan to advocate to DReps and Intersect to provide funding opportunities from the Cardano treasury for core development and critical ecosystem infrastructure projects and tooling. Additionally, we plan to explore support options to help contributors map paths to sustainable funding strategies, ensuring the continuity and prioritization of enhancements that drive value to the Cardano ecosystem.

  4. Support strategic research: we aim to develop and socialize strategic research across thematic areas to tackle critical issues, drive technological advancements, and enhance Cardano’s capabilities, adoption, and global impact.

How does CDEC work?

In the spirit of broad collaboration across the Cardano ecosystem, CDEC operates in close alignment with Intersect and the community. Our operational framework is built on collaboration, governance, and structured processes to ensure effective and accountable progress.

Collaboration with Intersect, DReps, and broader community objectives

CDEC plans to engage with and advise relevant Intersect committees, working groups, and DReps to support and complement their initiatives.

CDEC will not participate in decision-making within Intersect's governance structure. However, CDEC participants may independently participate in, lead, or establish new initiatives within Intersect's committee and working group structures.

We plan to contribute to Cardano’s product strategies and advocate for sustainable funding opportunities that align with the community’s long-term goals. We intend to work with other ecosystem participants, facilitating cohesive progress towards shared objectives.

CDEC governance and decision-making

CDEC is in the process of adding new contributors and developing governance structures that prioritize fairness, transparency, and accountability. We are dedicated to fostering opportunities for contributors to work together and ensuring alignment with Cardano’s decentralized principles. Our collaboration with Intersect will aid in upholding high standards of integrity. As our governance, oversight, and decision-making processes take shape, we will provide updates to maintain clarity and transparency for all stakeholders.

Key Activities

CDEC is dedicated to enhancing the Cardano ecosystem through a variety of strategic initiatives. Our key contributions may include:

  1. Supporting Cardano core infrastructure

    Ensuring the blockchain’s resilience and continuity by accelerating the development of strategic roadmap milestones while maintaining high performance and security standards.

  2. Advancing the Cardano Improvement Proposal process

    Actively engaging with the CIP process to support new editors and contributors, streamlining proposal improvements, and fostering a collaborative environment for ecosystem development.

  3. Promoting client & contributor diversity

    Enhancing network resilience by encouraging diverse architectures and innovative development approaches, thereby strengthening the overall robustness of the Cardano network.

  4. Fostering adjacent technologies

    Helping participants prioritize the development of essential tools, APIs, programming languages, and other foundational technologies to empower developers and expand Cardano’s capabilities.

  5. Guiding and supporting new participants

    Assisting new contributors in navigating governance and technical development processes, facilitating their understanding of the ecosystem’s roadmap, and providing resources for effective collaboration.

  6. Driving strategic research and product strategy

    Providing a platform to allow participants to collaborate with relevant committees to deliver and socialize research and innovation workstreams, and to promote state-of-the-art engineering solutions to support technological advancements. Additionally, we will facilitate opportunities for participating in various global product strategy/development workshops that should bring together leading minds to collectively ideate and determine future technical enhancements for Cardano for 2026 and beyond.

Funding opportunities to participate in the ecosystem

Predictability with accountability

The Cardano treasury serves as a flexible funding layer that supports ecosystem growth and technology development. While Catalyst funding is vital for pilot projects and seed initiatives, there is a clear need for sustainable, longer-term funding solutions to ensure the continuity of essential initiatives.

As described by Intersect, its annual budget process is designed to support long-term strategies for key technical and non-technical projects and initiatives, enabling larger and more complex efforts that exceed Catalyst's scope. Funding opportunities and priorities will be determined by community consensus and priorities. This model should provide predictable funding for prioritized initiatives and growth while holding funding recipients accountable for their successful delivery.

In 2025, CDEC will encourage opportunities for participants to connect with Intersect and DReps to actively pursue funding opportunities. CDEC will promote opportunities for some of the leading technical contributors in the ecosystem to collaborate where they deem beneficial.

CDEC Funding

Currently, the administration and facilitation of CDEC are carried out on a voluntary basis by its participants, and CDEC does not plan to seek funding for its operations as a group. However, it may seek minimal funding for logistical or administrative support in the future, if necessary. Any such funding would be pursued with transparency and in collaboration with the community.

Many CDEC participants intend to seek funding from the Cardano Treasury to support their technical development contributions. These efforts will align with Intersect’s Committee and Working Group initiatives and funding processes. CDEC will provide guidance to participants to assure that their funding requests are designed to advance broader ecosystem goals and comply with Intersect’s governance and accountability standards. Funding sought by participants will be for the specific projects and initiatives being proposed by such participants. Such funds will not go towards any of CDEC’s administrative or operational expenses.