Cardano Bids Farewell to Leadership Seat: Is This the Start of a New Era? 😱

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So, Cardano‘s bigwig studio, Input Output Global (IOG), has decided it’s time to pack up and leave the party. After the summer elections, they’re waving goodbye to their seat on the blockchain’s Interim Constitutional Committee. Because, obviously, they’ve had their moment in the spotlight—during the 2024 Chang hard-fork transition, no less. Talk about a dramatic exit, right? 👏

In an X thread published on May 28, IOG was all humblebrags about how “honored” they were to serve on the committee, but now, they’re done. They’re not running for reelection, which is probably the most ‘we’re-so-awesome’ way of saying ‘we’ve done enough’. They even went on to say that the Cardano community is *brimming* with talent and will totally be fine without them. So, cue the applause. 🙄

And, as if it wasn’t enough to remind us they stepped up during the oh-so-glorious Chang hard fork in 2024, IOG threw in that they’ll continue to cast on-chain votes and share their oh-so-enlightened rationales until their time in the spotlight expires. Just in case you were wondering. Oh, and they recommend prospective candidates *totally* check out Intersect’s resources. Because, you know, advice is free. 😏

Meanwhile, Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, popped in to echo this heartfelt sentiment. He’s practically shedding a tear, writing: “Our last official role soon ends. It’s been an honor and the privilege of my career to serve with you all. Time for new ideas and blood.” Ugh, so dramatic. 😩

Cardano Elections: The Drama Unfolds

The ICC was born during the first phase of the Chang upgrade in late August 2024, a hard fork that started bringing on-chain governance to Cardano’s Conway-era ledger. Yes, this is all as riveting as it sounds. But seriously, ADA holders now get to elect delegates (dReps) and even submit governance actions. Fancy, huh? 😎

Intersect has drawn up an election roadmap that runs through the northern summer. You’ve got your typical election phases, of course. Candidate registration ends May 31, campaigning happens in parallel (because who doesn’t love a little political drama?), and then token-weighted voting kicks off June 10 and ends July 10. A true festival of democracy, folks. 🇺🇸

The formal ratification process will wrap up sometime between August 1 and September 1. Then, the top three vote-getters will serve for two years, and the remaining four will get one year. Because nothing says “staggered election cycle” like throwing a little chaos into the mix. 🌀

What’s Changing—and What’s Staying the Same?

So, let’s be clear. IOG’s departure doesn’t mean they’re ghosting Cardano entirely. They’re still holding the reins on technical development, obviously. But in terms of governance? It’s a whole new world. Now, even founding entities will have to compete with the *masses* to keep things running smoothly. Shocking, I know. This is supposed to be the fulfillment of Cardano’s promise of “governance by the holders”—but we’ll see how that plays out. 🤷‍♀️

The upcoming election will put Cardano’s token-weighted elections to the test, giving over 4 million ADA wallets the power to pick who gets to interpret and enforce the Cardano Constitution. No biggie, just a small democratic experiment on a live L1 network. 😬

If all goes according to plan (because when does anything ever go according to plan?), Cardano will roll into September with its very first fully elected Constitutional Committee in place. Meanwhile, IOG will slink back to its usual spot, just another player in the game. 🏃‍♀️

Oh, and by the way, ADA is currently trading at $0.75. So, you know, stock up if you’re feeling frisky. 💸

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2025-05-30 02:13