Driving Blockchain: Cardano Foundation’s Activities Part 11

Cardano Foundation updates showcasing academic, enterprise, and government initiatives worldwide

The Cardano Foundation works to enhance Cardano's resilience and scale its on-chain activities to improve network utility for both public and enterprise applications. In order to increase the public’s familiarity with this technology, we foster a deeper understanding of blockchain's possibilities and potential limitations. Such an understanding proves fundamental to empowering businesses and institutions through blockchain applications and, therefore, enhancing their operations.

Moreover, the Foundation actively drives adoption through initiatives like workshops, hackathons, and collaborations with universities and enterprises. With this focus, the potential of blockchain across various industries becomes apparent, from supply chain traceability to merchandise authentication. At the same time, safeguarding Cardano’s longevity remains paramount to supporting such initiatives and use cases while continuing to drive our sustainability efforts, such as the release of MiCA-compliant network indicators.

Preparing for a world-class summit

The Cardano Summit will soon return to Dubai’s global hub for blockchain innovation. In fact, the Cardano flagship event embodies more than the spirit of collaboration and progress propelling the ecosystem forward; it represents a key gathering of industry experts coming together to envision the future of the technology and its applications. With the Summit agenda confirmed, attendees can now fully prepare for a dynamic program featuring insightful keynotes, hands-on masterclasses, and engaging panels.

The Summit also serves as a platform to recognize excellence within the community. The Summit Awards will honor ten exceptional contributors for their remarkable achievements within the Cardano ecosystem. Although nominations closed on 24 September, the Cardano community can now access the Cardano Ballot 2024 to vote for their favorite projects until 8 October.

For those unable to attend the Summit in Dubai, the global Cardano community will host local events. From Africa to Asia, Europe to the Americas, a series of community events promises opportunities to connect, learn, and inspire.

Whether attending in Dubai, at one of the multiple community events, or participating virtually, the Cardano Summit 2024 presents an invaluable occasion to engage with the latest developments in the blockchain space, forge meaningful connections, and contribute to the future of this revolutionary technology.

Adoption through active leadership

Earlier in the year, Cardano earned the prestigious title of “Best Layer-1 Solution,” attributed to the Blockchain Life 2024 event. The Foundation’s Jide Fashola (Global Financial Infrastructure Lead), Rupen Vara (Global Marketing Sponsorships Lead), and Jeremy Firster (Global Enterprise Adoption Lead) accepted the award in Dubai.

More recently, Foundation CEO Frederik Gregaard participated in the Crypto Valley Conference in Rotkreuz, where he discussed the future of blockchain, digital identity, zero-knowledge proofs, bridges, oracles, and the global governance crisis. He also reinforced the need for tools and solutions that prioritize the user experience, as blockchain's widespread adoption should eventually lead to millions of people using the technology without even realizing it. In addition, Gregaard provided the 2nd Swiss Digital Asset Custody Report 2024 with insights on how the Cardano blockchain can revolutionize global systems.

During an interview with Unlock Media titled “Unlock Blockchain: Uncover MENA's Crypto Future,” Gregaard delved deeper into the transformative potential of blockchain while emphasizing the Foundation’s commitment to the long-term resilience of the Cardano protocol as well as global blockchain adoption. He also highlighted the UAE's effective regulatory approach and advocated for deeper, principles-based regulation that accommodates blockchain's unique nature.

Prioritizing engagement to drive adoption

At the Point Zero Forum in Zurich, financial leaders from around the world gathered to discuss the future of finance. The Foundation delivered a workshop on blockchain and its impact on environment, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, highlighting the technology's potential to promote transparency and accountability in the financial sector. In fact, blockchain's immutable ledger enables the transparent tracking of investments and transactions, allowing others to confirm the allocation of funds to sustainable projects and other initiatives with positive impacts. It also facilitates the verification of ESG claims, combating greenwashing and empowering investors to make more informed decisions.

Further showcasing a commitment to innovation, the Foundation proudly supported the Cardano Hackathon Berlin 2024. Organized by NMKR, the Hackathon aimed to unite builders and developers worldwide, offering a unique platform for collaboration, innovation, and the generation of groundbreaking ideas within the Web 3.0 ecosystem, specifically focusing on the Cardano network. Participants from diverse backgrounds and skill sets engaged with the latest advancements in blockchain technology, fostering a collaborative environment that encouraged creativity and problem-solving.

At Rare Evo 2024 in Las Vegas, the Foundation established connections, engaged in thoughtful discussions, and shared insights on its projects. Jeremy Firster moderated the panels "Supply Chain in the 22nd Century" and "Global Enterprise Industry Insights" while Giorgio Zinetti (CTO) reflected on Cardano's growth during a fireside chat. Furthermore, Thomas Mayfield (Team Lead - Decentralized Trust and Identity Solutions) delivered a keynote titled "The Future of Identity," led a workshop on blockchain interoperability, and participated in a fireside chat discussing smart tokens.

Adding to such global engagement activities, Rafael Fraga (LATAM Business Development Lead) and Sandro Knöpfel (Global Business Development Lead) represented the Foundation at the Women in Tech Global Summit in Paris. This event celebrates innovation while empowering equality and diverse perspectives within the technology industry.

Advancing enterprise use cases

After launching the Cardano Store last year, the Foundation introduced a new t-shirt commemorating the Cardano genesis block. The t-shirt features a dynamic cloud graphic designed by Tyler Rodrigues, representing the 14,505 transactions in the genesis block, along with block details. It comes with a token as a digital proof-of-purchase, minted in partnership with NMKR.

Examples of blockchain applications that foster traceability, authenticity, and sustainability across diverse industries remain crucial to enterprise adoption. For instance, Georgia's National Wine Agency collaborates with the Foundation to enhance transparency and trust in the Georgian wine industry.

In the realm of authenticity, Epoch Sports and Merchadise partnered with the Foundation to enhance merchandise authentication and fan engagement. The Cardano blockchain's security and immutability enable a unique digital certificate of authenticity, fundamentally transforming how fans interact with sports memorabilia. This mechanism provides additional opportunities for sponsor participation through the integration of loyalty programs that leverage on-chain rewards and gamification experiences.

Bolstering blockchain in Latin America

Earlier this year, the Foundation initiated efforts in Latin America (LATAM) to build awareness and demonstrate the efficiency of Cardano use cases. This led to working with the province of Entre Ríos in Argentina to explore and support the understanding of blockchain applications, marking a significant step forward for the technology in the region.

The Foundation likewise partnered with the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) of Buenos Aires to expand blockchain education and adoption. This collaboration will include additional initiatives through ADA Labs for Blockchain Applications (ALBA) and Cardano Solar.

Petrobras—the first Forbes 500 company to onboard with Cardano—and the Foundation later announced at Blockchain Rio the launch of the Universidade Petrobras (UP) Cardano Blockchain Academy, a customized learning platform for Petrobras employees that expands on a several months long engagement. This latest use of the Cardano Academy at an enterprise level speaks to the broader benefits of providing accessible blockchain education solutions to varied audiences.

In order to celebrate the educational experience, the Foundation further unveiled 500 unique NFTs that will change color as the Petrobras employees progress through the Academy courses. Rafael Fraga and Nadia Mannel (Director of the Cardano Academy) later contributed to the internal launch of the UP Cardano Blockchain Academy.

Building on the Academy’s expanding cohort, the Foundation launched the Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate (CBCA) certification exam. It gives individuals the opportunity to validate their blockchain skills, have them recognized, and enhance their career prospects.

Back to blockchain summer school

The Foundation continued its partnership with the UZH Blockchain Center in Switzerland, participating in the University’s 5th International Summer School. The event featured a fireside chat with Claudio J. Tessone, Chairman of the UZH Blockchain Center, and the Foundation COO Andreas Pletscher, where they examined key elements of the blockchain ecosystem. During the discussion, Pletscher emphasized the future of interoperable layer 1 blockchains and highlighted Cardano's strengths in enterprise and supply chain applications.

Several Foundation representatives also presented during the workshop. Alexandre Maaza (Sustainability Lead) discussed the basics of Cardano, its roadmap, and various projects and applications. Thomas Mayfield then delved into the technical aspects of Cardano, explaining the UTXO and EUTXO models, Cardano's proof-of-stake mechanism, and the staking rewards system. Finally, Michiel Bellen (Core Integrations Team Lead) conducted a hands-on session demonstrating how to mint NFTs on the Cardano blockchain using PyCardano.

Cultivating resilience in network diversity

Interoperability bolsters Cardano’s resilience by bridging blockchain ecosystems to deliver more accessible public and enterprise solutions. As such, the Foundation worked to introduce Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC) capabilities to Cardano. The initiative enhances Cardano's connectivity and facilitates reliable transactions and data exchange across diverse blockchain networks.

By joining the interchain ecosystem, Cardano becomes increasingly interoperable with over 115 other blockchains. This integration enables seamless deployment of EVM-based decentralized applications (DApps) on Cardano and unlocks the potential for scalable, secure, and flexible blockchain solutions that benefit both developers and enterprises.

In fact, a healthy variety of developer tools addresses the needs of developers with varying skill sets and preferences, plus speaks to a vibrant ecosystem, as exemplified by the wide adoption of Aiken. Notably, the launch of Minswap V2 marked a significant milestone for Aiken’s smart contract programming language and toolkit.

Minswap, a leading decentralized exchange (DEX), chose Aiken for its V2 upgrade, highlighting the language's robustness and capabilities. Indeed, it demonstrates Aiken's pivotal role in developing sophisticated DApps on the Cardano blockchain. The Foundation's ongoing contributions to the open source Aiken project aims to further support the development of innovative solutions on the Cardano network.

Similarly, and in addition to validating transactions and therefore ensuring the network continues to function, stake pool operators (SPOs) often contribute to development and open-source efforts. The “A Spotlight on Stake Pools” series aims precisely to recognize this crucial role and highlight the multiple contributions of different SPOs across the ecosystem.

In recent months, the Foundation featured Dmytro Stashenko, operator of the STAT stake pool, who contributes significantly to the Cardano community through his involvement in the AdaStat Cardano Explorer. The Cardano Community Catalyst Eastern Town Hall [C3ETH] pool, on the other hand, aims to support and grow grassroots Cardano communities in the eastern hemisphere. Meanwhile, Holger, operator of the Cardano24 [ADA] stake pool and a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience, provides ongoing support to SPOs and projects across the African continent.

Supporting resilience through decentralized governance

The Foundation went on to champion network longevity by participating in Project Catalyst voting for the first time, focusing on proposals that could enhance operational resilience, promote blockchain education, and drive widespread adoption. Moreover, we prioritized innovative on-chain solutions addressing traceability, authenticity, and sustainability alongside open-source initiatives and contributions to Cardano's governance model. This active involvement in shaping Cardano's future through community-driven initiatives helps to solidify the network's resilience.

By advancing decentralized decision-making and supporting projects that promote resilience and adoption, the Foundation aims to contribute to Cardano's long-term growth. This commitment to fostering community-driven governance led the Cardano Foundation to join Intersect, a member-based organization dedicated to supporting Cardano's distributed governance model. Participation in Intersect will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the network as Cardano enters the final stages of Voltaire—with fully on-chain, decentralized governance now in effect following the Chang upgrade.

Leading sustainability in blockchain

The Cardano Foundation partnered with the Crypto Carbon Ratings Institute (CCRI) to release Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA)-compliant sustainability indicators for the Cardano network. Cardano remains committed to sustainability and regulatory compliance, both within the European Union's upcoming MiCA regulations and other jurisdictions across the world.

Key highlights from the report include Cardano's energy-efficient consensus protocol, its low electricity consumption and carbon footprint, as well as additional sustainability metrics aligned with draft regulatory standards. The report serves as a valuable resource for not just the broader blockchain community but any industry looking to leverage blockchain. It also firmly positions Cardano as a trailblazer in environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance.