CoinDesk
Cardano developer Input Output will begin transferring control of core blockchain infrastructure, including its Haskell node, Plutus smart-contract platform, Daedalus wallet, Hydra scaling technology and developer relations, to external specialist teams starting in August as part of a multi-year decentralization push that extends into 2027.
The handover moves Cardano's protocol layer away from its original builder and toward a multi-vendor model. Specialist companies including Se7en Labs, a Solana-focused development agency, and Teragone, the team behind the Mithril stake-based signature protocol, will assume responsibility for parts of the core stack. At least three independent Cardano implementations written in Haskell, Rust and Go will be maintained in parallel under community oversight, with formal specifications curated by member organizations Intersect and Pragma and subject to review and voting.
Why it matters
The shift is the final stage of Cardano's Voltaire-era decentralization roadmap, per founder Charles Hoskinson, and it formalises what was already partly true: governance decisions moved to the community earlier, and software development is the last major input still concentrated inside Input Output. After the handover, Input Output will redirect its work toward research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures, while day-to-day protocol maintenance sits with independent teams.
The bet is that competition between client implementations surfaces bugs faster and removes single-vendor risk. The risk is coordination: three parallel clients, multiple specialist vendors and a community spec layer all have to ship compatible upgrades on a shared cadence, or the chain forks.
Market impact
The announcement lands against a brutal backdrop for ADA. The token was trading near $0.16 on Friday, roughly 95% below its September 2021 high of $3.10, and Cardano's TVL sits around $70 million against rival chains Tron and Solana, each above $4 billion.
Frequently asked questions
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What is Input Output handing over to outside teams on Cardano?
Input Output is transferring responsibility for the Haskell node, Plutus smart-contract platform, Daedalus wallet, Hydra scaling technology and developer relations to external specialist teams, starting in August and running into 2027.
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Which external companies are taking over Cardano's core development?
Se7en Labs, a Solana-focused development agency, and Teragone, the team behind the Mithril stake-based signature protocol, are named specialist companies taking responsibility for parts of the core stack, with at least three independent implementations maintained in Haskell, Rust and Go.
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Why is Cardano decentralizing core development now?
Founder Charles Hoskinson framed the shift as the final stage of the Voltaire-era decentralization roadmap, after Cardano already moved governance to the community. He also acknowledged that the network has stopped expanding and needs more specialised teams directing resources.
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How bad are Cardano's current network metrics compared to rivals?
ADA traded near $0.16 on Friday, roughly 95% below its September 2021 high of $3.10, and Cardano's TVL was approximately $70 million against rival chains Tron and Solana, which each hold more than $4 billion in TVL.
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What role will Input Output play after the handover?
After the handover, Input Output will focus more of its work on research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures, while day-to-day protocol maintenance and client development sit with independent teams under community specifications curated by Intersect and Pragma.
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