Cardano Foundation Voting Decisions for the 2026 Intersect Budget Process
Championing feasible, strategic proposals that grow the Cardano ecosystem
The Cardano Foundation has always had one clear approach to governance: We hold ourselves to high standards. We participate in Cardano’s governance in a transparent, structured, and accountable way, consciously aligned with the principles we set out on Our Cardano.
This stance informed how, in April 2026, we revisited the Foundation’s review framework to assess budget proposals. Now that we have completed our review of the proposals submitted through the 2026 Intersect Budget Process, it is time to publish the Cardano Foundation’s voting decisions and rationales.
The review criteria at a glance
Over the past few weeks, approximately 20 Cardano Foundation subject matter experts across all teams reviewed the submitted proposals. We assessed each proposal against three core considerations:
- ecosystem growth – to appraise whether the proposal is likely to create meaningful utility, usage, or long-term value for Cardano;
- budget feasibility – to ensure the requested funding is proportionate to the expected deliverables, supported by a clear budget, and reasonable compared with available alternatives;
- vision and strategy alignment – to evaluate if the proposal follows Cardano’s 2030 and aligns with the Our Cardano principles.
We also considered feasibility risks, open-source commitments, prior ecosystem funding, and delivery track records where relevant.
Voting decisions
The 2026 Intersect Budget Process saw 69 proposals submitted, requesting a total of 331,569,537 ada across the five pillars of the Cardano 2030 Vision and Strategy.
Intersect implemented several updates to the budget process, and we appreciate these improvements on the 2025 system. The documentation provided via the Intersect Knowledge-Base, the Hydra voting tool, and the coordination carried out by Intersect all made the governance experience an easier, smoother one for proposers, reviewers, and DReps alike.
As proposals could identify themselves as falling under more than one strategic pillar, a strict pillar-by-pillar classification is not always possible. For that reason, we decided to present our voting decisions by outcome and requested budget amount.
| Vote | Number of proposals | Requested ada | Share of total requested ada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 27 | 111,424,355 | 33.61% |
| No | 28 | 157,337,556 | 47.45% |
| Abstain | 13 | 37,407,626 | 11.28% |
| Ongoing Deliberation | 1 | 25,400,000 | 7.66% |
| Total | 69 | 331,569,537 | 100% |
The total amount of ada represented by proposals receiving a Yes vote from the Cardano Foundation is 111,424,355 ada.
Why rationales and participation matter
Transparency in governance needs more than just publishing vote outcomes. It requires explanations for the reasoning behind those decisions. So we compiled a document containing the Foundation’s individual voting rationales. We'll update it as we finalize the process before the voting period closes.
The voting period remains open until 12 June 2026 at 12:00 UTC. We encourage all DReps to review the proposals and cast their votes through the Hydra Voting Tool.
Cardano governance gives every ada holder a voice, whether through delegation or direct participation. The budget process makes it real – this is the moment when the Cardano community reviews proposals, tests priorities, and directs treasury resources according to the will of the majority.
Thank you to all builders, contributors, reviewers, and DReps who actively take part in this process.