Cardano cryptocurrency founder Charles Hoskinson declared the blockchain ecosystem has achieved complete decentralization while revealing plans for a potentially life-threatening personal expedition, suggesting a step back from his leadership role after a decade of development.
What to Know:
- Cardano has passed a constitution through convention and on-chain ratification, transferring power from founders to community
- Nearly 1,000 Delegated Representative Entities are now registered, creating a distributed governance structure
- Hoskinson plans a dangerous expedition that could be life-threatening, framing it as a mental reset before Cardano's next phase
In a livestream titled "See you on the other side," Hoskinson delivered a message that balanced technical achievements with personal revelations.
Speaking from his Colorado office, he disclosed plans for an undertaking so perilous that "there is a possibility of death," though he expressed confidence in his safe return.
Governance Milestones Mark New Chapter
The core of Hoskinson's announcement centered on Cardano's governance maturation after years of development. The blockchain has now entered what he characterized as full decentralization, with decision-making authority shifting from founding entities to the broader community.
"We have passed a constitution both through a constitutional convention and an on-chain ratification," Hoskinson stated. "We have passed an info action approving a roadmap. There are almost a thousand DREs [Delegated Representative Entities] registered and an interesting distribution of power amongst them."
This transition includes a partially elected constitutional committee currently in place, with complete democratic elections scheduled later this year. Budget reconciliation among Delegated Representative Action Plans (DRAPs) continues and should conclude within 60 to 90 days, according to Hoskinson.
The founder emphasized that this evolution fulfills his original vision. "I wanted to build something where I could spend my entire life working on it, but I didn't want to be a dictator or a king," he said, comparing Cardano's development to Bitcoin's early years and Satoshi Nakamoto's eventual departure from direct involvement.
Technical diversity also featured prominently in Hoskinson's assessment.
He highlighted a recent node diversity workshop in Paris where he met with development teams from Pragma, TXPipe, Blink Labs, and Harmonic. These independent groups are creating alternative node implementations to strengthen the protocol's resilience.
"It was really impressive to spend some time with them and see them," Hoskinson remarked. "The end result of those conversations is basically an assurance that we will have multiple independent implementations by independent teams in the Cardano ecosystem."
In a significant cross-chain development, Hoskinson noted that Ethereum community members participated in the workshop, discussing interoperability and client diversity. This signals Cardano's expansion beyond its earlier isolated approach.
While Input Output Global (IOG), Hoskinson's company, will remain active in the ecosystem, he clarified that its role would now depend on community decisions. "You ultimately get to decide how prominent that role is [...] whether it be involved in core infrastructure or simply building on top of the protocol," he told viewers.
Personal Transition and Future Projects
Hoskinson, now 37, reflected on reaching a transitional point in his life, expressing a desire for fulfillment beyond cryptocurrency development. "I've been chained down for the last decade," he admitted, referring to his expanding interests in ranching, synthetic biology, and even unconventional pursuits like an "alien salvage expedition in Papua New Guinea."
His upcoming venture stands apart in its danger level. While declining to provide specifics, Hoskinson described it as "one of the most challenging things I've ever done in my entire life" with over a year of preparation behind it. He promised to document the experience if he returns safely.
The founder framed this journey as both personal challenge and necessary mental preparation before tackling Cardano's next developmental phase, which includes the privacy-focused Midnight blockchain, Hydra scalability solutions, and Minotaur's Active Validator Set ambitions.
"Cardano's roadmap is the best it's ever been," he asserted, highlighting the system's emerging functionality as a Bitcoin DeFi platform and its commitment to scalable governance.
Hoskinson also expressed frustration with the cryptocurrency industry's fixation on price movements rather than technological advancement. "Every accomplishment doesn't matter [...] everything is chained to whether the price goes up or the price goes down. You have no idea how thoroughly boring that has become," he stated.
His closing remarks suggested a potential evolution in his relationship with the project. "Cardano, like Bitcoin before it, is durable. It's here to stay. All elements of centralization have been removed... that was my life's work, and I'm proud of that."
Closing Thoughts
Hoskinson's announcement marks a significant milestone for Cardano as it achieves the decentralization that has been its founding goal. As the founder potentially steps back to pursue personal challenges, the blockchain continues its technical evolution with a community-driven governance structure now firmly in place.