ardano GovTool Budget Proposal: Securing the Future of Community Governance Tools
Empowering Cardano’s Voltaire Era with Open-Source Governance Tools
With the dawn of Cardano’s Voltaire era and the implementation of CIP-1694, the Cardano community now has the power to shape the network’s future through on-chain governance. However, power without accessible tools is meaningless. Cardano GovTool is the primary open-source platform that lowers the barrier for every ADA holder to participate in governance, from learning about proposals and discussing them, to delegating votes and casting ballots on the blockchain. Ensuring the continuity and growth of these governance tools is crucial for the Cardano community’s self-determination in this new era.
One of the most important components of GovTool is the Proposal Discussions Forum, a dedicated space for community members to transparently discuss and refine proposals (including budget proposals) before they go on-chain. Alongside it is the Governance Voting Portal, which provides a user-friendly interface for on-chain voting on governance actions. Both are vital public goods: open-source, non-commercial, and community-owned platforms that foster fair and transparent decision-making. If these tools falter due to a lack of funding, community governance could suffer. Therefore, maintaining and improving them is not just a technical need, but an investment in Cardano’s democratic future.
A Collaborative Proposal by Cardano Community Builders
Recognizing the importance of sustaining GovTool, four established Cardano community companies have come together to submit a Cardano GovTool Budget Proposal. This proposal is a collaborative effort by We Deliver IT, DQuadrant, Lido Nation, and Byron Network – a group that collectively represents the core builders and maintainers of Cardano’s governance tooling. (These organizations form the Cardano GovTool Consortium, each with extensive experience and commitment to the ecosystem.) Together, they leveraged four weeks of community feedback from working groups, open forums, and direct input to craft a proposal that reflects the community’s needs intersectmbo.org. By uniting their expertise, these contributors underscore a shared commitment to keeping Cardano’s governance infrastructure robust and accessible to all.
We Deliver IT’s Commitment to the Cardano Community
As one of the lead collaborators, We Deliver IT is deeply committed to the Cardano community. Our team has been actively maintaining the Proposal Discussions Forum and the GovTool voting portal, ensuring that Cardano’s governance process remains uninterrupted. Importantly, even while the community deliberates and votes on the new budget proposal, We Deliver IT has pledged to continue supporting and developing these governance tools at full capacity, with or without immediate funding. This means that rather than shifting to “maintenance only” mode, we will keep improving features, fixing bugs, and scaling the tools to meet user needs. We Deliver IT’s dedication goes beyond business—we are stakeholders in Cardano’s success and will do whatever it takes to empower the community’s voice. (As a Cardano-focused development and consulting firm, We Deliver IT views this work as part of our mission to strengthen decentralized governance.)
Key Highlights of the GovTool Budget Proposal
The GovTool Budget Proposal now under consideration is essentially a funding request to secure 12 months of development and maintenance for Cardano’s core governance tools. Here are the key points and structure of the proposal:
- Tiered Funding Structure: The proposal introduces a modular, tiered funding plan intersectmbo.org. Three levels of funding are outlined, each building on the previous:
- Level 1 – Foundational Maintenance: Covers essential infrastructure – hosting, security, basic upkeep of the GovTool platform (all five pillars) – to keep everything running safely and smoothly. This is the “bare minimum” to ensure continuity of service.
- Level 2 – Incentivized Community Participation: On top of maintenance, this level provides ADA incentives for community developers who contribute improvements or new features. It also allocates funding to support other open-source governance innovations that integrate with GovTool. The goal is to grow a community-driven development ecosystem around Cardano governance.
- Level 3 – Active Development of All Pillars: This is the full-scale development option. It funds dedicated teams to actively develop and improve each of the five pillars (Proposal Discussions, Delegation, Voting, Outcomes tracking, and Budget Discussions) on a continuous basis, intersectmbo.org. With Level 3, GovTool would see regular feature enhancements, faster bug fixes, and comprehensive end-to-end testing across the board.
- Reduced Budget, Maximized Impact: The revised proposal’s ask is approximately ₳1.15M (around $920k USD) for the highest level (Level 3) over 12 months, which is nearly half of the initial budget envisioned (the team streamlined costs following community feedback)intersectmbo.org. This funding would be drawn from the Cardano Treasury if approved. Notably, this is the first time these community-built tools are requesting treasury funds to continue – up until now, they were bootstrapped by the builders and interim support. The consortium has also committed that any unused funds at the end of the period will be returned to the Treasury, ensuring efficient use of community resources.
- All Five Governance Pillars Covered: Funding would support development across all key components of Cardano governance:
- Proposal Creation & Discussion – tools for creating new governance actions and discussing them (the forums).Delegation – the DRep (decentralized representative) system for those who choose to delegate their voting power.Voting – the on-chain voting interface for all governance actions (like constitutional changes, parameter updates, and treasury withdrawals).Outcomes Tracking – transparent tracking of vote outcomes and implementation progress.Budget Discussions – a forum specifically for discussing Treasury spending and budget proposals in a decentralized manner.
- Contingent on Community Approval: The proposal has been submitted as a Governance Info Action on Cardano’s on-chain governance platformintersectmbo.org. This means ADA holders (direct voters and DReps) can review the details and cast a vote indicating support or rejection of this funding plan. If the Info Action gains sufficient yes-votes, it paves the way for a subsequent Treasury Withdrawal Action to actually release the funds from the Treasury intersectmbo.org. In short, community approval through voting is required to move forward. This approach of an info action followed by a treasury withdrawal is designed for transparency and consensus – the community signals support first, before any funds are taken out.
Why This Matters for Cardano and Web3 Governance
This budget proposal is more than just a funding request – it’s a milestone in Cardano’s governance journey. The success of GovTool directly impacts how inclusive and effective Cardano’s governance can be. By securing funding, the community ensures that critical infrastructure remains in place for 2025 and beyond intersectmbo.org, even as Cardano’s governance processes evolve. It also exemplifies the Web3 ethos of decentralization: instead of a single entity controlling Cardano’s governance portal, a consortium of community-focused builders (with an open invitation for others to join over time) is handling development. This keeps GovTool free from centralization or commercial capture intersectmbo.org, aligning with Cardano’s values of transparency and fairness.
For the broader blockchain industry, Cardano’s approach here is a valuable case study in how to manage and fund public goods. Open-source governance tools are often vulnerable to neglect without clear funding, but Cardano is proactively addressing that via its Treasury and governance framework. It showcases how a self-governing blockchain can invest in its own long-term infrastructure, balancing professional development work with grassroots community contributions.
Next Steps and How to Get Involved
The Cardano community is now encouraged to review and discuss the GovTool Budget Proposal and participate in the on-chain vote. Every ADA holder’s voice counts in determining whether these vital tools receive the support they need. The collaboration and feedback over the past month have already improved the proposal significantly – now it’s in the hands of the community to decide its fate through Cardano’s governance process.
For those interested in all the details, you can read the full proposal documentation which dives deeper into the problem statement, solution, and budget breakdown. 👉 See the complete proposal text here: Updated GovTool Budget Proposal – Full Version. Additionally, the proposal can be viewed on the official Cardano governance platform (GovTool) as a live on-chain governance action. 👉 Check it out on GovTool: Cardano GovTool Budget Proposal Info-Action.
In summary, the Cardano GovTool Budget Proposal is a community-driven initiative to secure and enhance the tools that empower Cardano’s governance. It embodies the spirit of Cardano’s decentralized governance — built by the community, for the community. We at We Deliver IT are proud to be part of this effort and will continue to support Cardano’s growth as a leader in blockchain governance.
Stay tuned for updates on the voting outcome and ongoing development. Together, we are shaping the future of Cardano’s governance, one tool at a time.
Let’s deliver it!
