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

Input Output, the company responsible for building and maintaining the Cardano blockchain, is requesting approximately half the funding it received last year from the project's community treasury. The firm has submitted nine proposals totaling $46.8 million for the 2026 voting cycle, with a focus on scaling the network to increase its transaction capacity and expanding into Bitcoin DeFi. This reduced funding request marks the first step in Input Output's plan to decrease its reliance on community funds and become self-sustaining. The proposals are divided into two main themes: the Leios consensus upgrade, which aims to increase Cardano's transaction processing capacity, and the Pogun system, which seeks to integrate Bitcoin-based decentralized finance into the network. The voting process, which is open to roughly 1,000 elected delegates, will determine the fate of these proposals and signal a shift in the Cardano community's approach to funding development.