Cardano’s Leios Upgrade: 2026 or Bust? (Seriously, They’re Voting on It)

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Key Highlights (Because Who Has Time to Read the Whole Thing?)

  • Input Output Global is pitching nine funding plans for 2026, because apparently eight wasn’t enough. Budget? Cut in half. Voting? Open until May 24, 2026. Get your clicks in, folks.
  • The star of the show? The Leios upgrade for Cardano, hitting testnet in June 2026. Because nothing says “future” like a 2026 rollout.
  • Also on the menu: better developer tools, Layer 2 systems like Hydra (not the Marvel villain), and a cool $15.8M for network maintenance. Because even blockchains need a spa day.

Input Output Global just dropped nine treasury proposals for 2026, all about giving Cardano a glow-up with the Leios rollout. The goal? Faster, stronger, better-basically, the blockchain equivalent of a midlife crisis sports car.

“We’re submitting nine proposals this year, with a funding ask just under 50% of last year’s, and a clear focus on getting the job done,” they tweeted. Translation: We’re doing more with less, because who doesn’t love a good budget cut?

IO’s 2026 treasury proposals are now live.

We’re submitting nine proposals this year, with a funding ask just under 50% of last year’s, and a clear focus on getting the job done.

With Leios testnet arriving in June and mainnet targeted by the end of 2026, the slate delivers the…

– Input Output Group (@IOGroup) April 22, 2026

Funding Plan and Voting Timeline (Because Democracy is Hard)

They’re asking for “just under 50%” of last year’s budget, which is like saying, “We’ll take half the pizza, but we’re still hungry.” Voting is open now and closes on May 24, 2026. So, you know, mark your calendars between your dentist appointment and your cat’s birthday.

The proposals cover all the buzzwords: infrastructure, developer tools, economic design. But let’s be real, everyone’s here for the Leios upgrade.

Leios Upgrade Timeline (Spoiler: It’s Still in Progress)

Leios is set to hit testnet in June 2026, with a mainnet launch by year-end. But don’t hold your breath-development is still chugging along, somewhere between “almost there” and “we’re working on it.”

The goal? Scale Cardano from 800,000 transactions per month to 27 million by 2030. Because if you’re not aiming for the moon, are you even trying?

The upgrade promises to boost throughput by 10 to 65 times. That’s like going from a tricycle to a rocket ship. But don’t worry, the consensus model stays the same. Baby steps, people.

Layer 2 Expansion (Because One Layer is Never Enough)

Cardano’s also diving into Layer 2 with Hydra and the Midgard rollup. Because apparently, one layer just doesn’t cut it anymore. The proposal says both are needed for a “credible L2 story.” So, it’s like a blockchain buddy cop movie.

And let’s not forget the $15.8 million (in ADA) for network maintenance. Because even blockchains need their oil changed and tires rotated.

Developer experience? Also on the table. IOG wants to fix the “fragmented” system that’s been driving devs away. Their solution? A six-month plan to make onboarding less of a nightmare. Because apparently, “high onboarding cost” is code for “we’re losing developers faster than a reality TV show loses contestants.”

Oh, and they’re making Plutus easier to use. Because no one should need a PhD and three months of setup to write a smart contract. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.

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2026-04-22 21:41