A Spotlight on Stake Pools: Cardano24 [ADA]

A stake pool operated by Holger, a seasoned IT professional who champions ecosystem collaboration in support of vulnerable populations.

The Cardano Foundation publishes “A Spotlight on Stake Pools” to highlight the contributions of stake pool operators (SPOs) within the ecosystem. SPOs actively maintain the Cardano blockchain by producing blocks and ensuring network integrity. Their community contributions foster decentralization and drive network growth and development. As recognized and critical participants in Cardano’s operational resilience, the series aims to showcase each SPO’s unique mission and motivations.

For the previous installment, we interviewed the Cardano Community Catalyst Eastern Town Hall (C3ETH) stake pool. Citing decentralization as core to its mission, C3ETH dedicates resources to the maintenance and security of the Cardano network, generating benefits for the broader community while cultivating and expanding grassroots Cardano communities throughout the eastern hemisphere. Their initiatives include generating multilingual Cardano resources, organizing Town Hall gatherings, and disseminating the positive effects of Cardano blockchain development, particularly in connection with Project Catalyst.

We now feature Cardano24 [ADA], founded and operated by Holger, a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience who provides ongoing support to SPOs. Holger's extensive background includes working with high-profile clients like German Federal Banks, Warner Bros, and many others. In addition to daily SPO support, Holger actively contributes to the Cardano community through various projects like Cardano24.Social and Cardano24.Chat. Additionally, he served as the Tech Lead of Liqwid.Finance after holding the title of Chief Technology Officer at the company. Holger's commitment to Cardano extends to supporting African stake pools and projects, driven by his belief in the unity of humanity, freedom of expression, and limitless possibilities. His vision for Cardano emphasizes collaboration and positive change, particularly in regions where we can make the greatest impact on the lives of underserved and vulnerable populations.

Why did you become a stake pool operator?

I'm driven to always do what's right, whether it's aiding others or more. Discovering Cardano, its technical approach and vision impressed me. It's a system where aiding others fosters mutual benefit, leading to collective success.

I come from a strong technical background, having operated my own data center colocations worldwide. The technical design of the protocol/network, coupled with the vision, presented an irresistible goal to be part of.

Therefore, operating a Cardano stake pool and providing enterprise-grade infrastructure to enhance its stability and performance was a no-brainer for me. As evidenced by the now inactive YouTube channel I created in mid-2020, where I wrote the slogan: "Let's shape our future with humanity in mind!" I am one of the original visionaries—"Cardano OG"—who believes that we can create a better future for ourselves and our children by learning to work together. Cardano offered just the right framework for this.

My primary goal is to further develop Cardano, helping others succeed within it, and to do and support charity, enabling others to do the same—so that we all may prosper. My stake pool aims to strengthen the Cardano network technically and offer people the opportunity to delegate to the pool as a sign of appreciation for my work while also earning rewards. It's a win-win situation!

What is the mission of your stake pool?

The mission is clear and reflects the role of SPOs in the ecosystem. Operating under a proof-of-stake model, Cardano encourages delegators to scrutinize the stake pool operators and their impact on the Cardano ecosystem as well as the world around us. It fosters an environment where positive deeds are incentivized, rewarding both those who contribute and those who acknowledge the contribution’s value.

Hence, the aim is to provide a high-quality and top performing stake pool, ensuring not only consistent and appealing rewards but also affirming the operator's ongoing contributions to the Cardano community and beyond. My involvement is a testament to this, with a track record extending over four years, demonstrating commitment and positive influence within the ecosystem.

This approach is all about highlighting a simple truth: when we do good, everyone benefits. It's the heart of what makes our community special—recognizing and cheering on those efforts that make a difference for the greater good.

Furthermore, my main goal is to provide help to others who are not in a position to do so, yet nevertheless want to help others.

Can you give us a brief history of your stake pool?

My pool was established as a stable beacon for the Cardano network (from a technical perspective) in the early days of the Shelley era. Instead of buying more ada for myself, I heavily invested in infrastructure, providing 24 relays worldwide for the Cardano network. This ensures that other pool operators have access to a nearby, stable, and professionally operated relay to connect to.

As mentioned earlier, the pool was designed not just from a technical standpoint but also as a way to receive feedback from people in the ecosystem by them delegating their ada to my pool. Being deeply involved in development work that advanced Cardano, I had little time for marketing. Although, in any case, I believe that marketing isn't the best approach when seeking genuine feedback.

Despite the lack of delegation to my pool, and the trend of delegators jumping from one ISPO to another, my commitment to building, developing, and assisting others has remained unchanged, as have my vision and goals for joining this community.

One of the most emotionally impactful experiences for me was charity work, through which I helped provide health insurance to over 5,000 children in Africa. Considering the possibility that 10% of these children might need medical assistance in the future, the thought that my efforts could potentially save the lives of 500 children makes me very emotional—such achievements keep me motivated.

How did the Cardano Foundation delegation impact your stake pool operation?

I'm grateful to have finally received significant recognition for my work, especially from someone dedicated to protecting Cardano's core vision and goals. Clearly, with the delegation support from the Cardano Foundation, more ecosystem support and charitable efforts are now feasible. However, the true value lies in the appreciation and recognition received, which is genuinely priceless.

This support not only facilitates further support and charity to the Cardano ecosystem but also significantly boosts morale. The acknowledgment from a figure so integral to the Cardano mission underscores the importance of my contributions and reinforces my commitment to the project's success. It serves as a reminder that our efforts are valued and that we are on the right path, contributing to a larger goal that aligns with Cardano's vision principles.

Such recognition is not just a personal milestone; it's a beacon for all community members, illustrating that dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed. It encourages continuous effort and innovation, ensuring that the Cardano community remains vibrant and progressive. This blend of support and acknowledgment from the Cardano Foundation is a powerful motivator, reassuring me that I was and still am on the right track to further strive for excellence and continue contributing to this transformative ecosystem.

How would you summarize your contributions to the Cardano ecosystem?

• Running a pool from the earliest days of Cardano.
• Running 50+ relays worldwide (public and private).
• Voted as Foundation Board Member of SPOCRA by hundreds of SPOs.
• Helped over 500+ pools to see the light of day.
• Fixing bugs for multiple pools so they could run correctly.
• Helping African pools by providing them with the infrastructure they otherwise can not afford (even for free).
• Creator of Cardano24 (for free to support our community, and maintained without any funding).
• Supporting/dev-testing other community projects to help improve them.
• Part of the Cardano Alonzo Blue Testnet, helping and testing, to bring us closer to smart contracts.
• Official moderator in IOG's Technical Community Discord-Server.
• Host of "We are Cardano".

Are you currently building something that you would like to share?

• In progress: Creating a space and SciFi MMO on Cardano.
• In progress (in closed beta): Monitoring-system for all stake pools on Cardano.
• In progress (in closed beta): Metadata file Hosting, free for all SPOs (HA-CLuster and distribution over global CDN).
• In progress (in closed beta): DOS-/DDOS-Protection layer for SPOs and stake pools, with plans to open source it in the future.

While the monitoring-system for all stake pools on Cardano and the metadata file hosting would truly have the biggest impact on SPOs and stake pools, I really would like to spotlight creating a space and SciFi MMO on Cardano. Sneak-peaks and news can be found in the project’s Discord server.

To stay up-to-date on the Cardano24 [ADA] stake pool, follow Holger on X (formerly Twitter) or reach out on Telegram.

The Cardano Foundation encourages all operators to submit the SPO notification form. Completing this form ensures that SPOs receive updates on the newest operator tools, upcoming delegation rounds, on-chain governance developments, and other pertinent information.