Cardano Developer Seeks Reduced Funding of $46.8 Million for Expansion and DeFi Integration

The company behind the Cardano blockchain is seeking to reduce its reliance on community funding by requesting nearly half the amount it did last year. Input Output has submitted nine proposals totaling $46.8 million for 2026, with a focus on scaling the network and expanding into Bitcoin decentralized finance. This reduction is part of a plan to decrease the company's dependency on community funds and transition towards self-sustainability. The proposals include a consensus upgrade called Leios, which aims to increase Cardano's transaction processing capacity, and a system called Pogun, which will enable Bitcoin-based decentralized finance on the network. The voting process, which runs until May 24, will determine the allocation of funds and test the Cardano community's governance structure.