Cardano news

The Cardano Foundation has launched the Fall 2026 cohort of its Cardano Accelerator Program with a kick-off event in Dublin. Eight ventures, each receiving CHF 10,000, will participate in a 10-week program focused on verifiable data, identity, and traceability, under the theme 'Real-World Trust: Verifying Origins and Data on Cardano.' The cohort is divided into Core and Spotlight tracks, addressing areas such as digital product passports, supply-chain traceability, verified identity, and responsible AI/oracles. The program culminates in a Demo Day in early February 2027. Applications were accepted from May to June 2026, with selections announced in September. This edition emphasizes regulatory compliance, particularly EU requirements for digital product passports.

The Cardano Foundation has published its 2025 financial statements on the blockchain, complete with an attestation from auditor Grant Thornton, marking a first for on-chain reporting with an independent auditor's certification. This move, announced via social media, combines traditional audit practices with blockchain to provide a cryptographically secured record of the Swiss nonprofit's financial health, aiming to boost transparency. The Foundation supports the Cardano network but does not issue tokens or trade publicly. Market observers suggest the audited on-chain disclosure could lower perceived financial risks and bankruptcy expectations for similar organizations, potentially influencing confidence. The release may prompt other entities, including those like OpenAI, to adopt similar transparency measures, impacting prediction markets.

Cardano's proposed 2027 budget framework, published by Intersect, would let three institutions act as funding stewards while remaining eligible for grants in their own domains. Intersect, PRAGMA, and the Cardano Foundation would shape assessment processes across six spending areas, but delegated representatives (DReps) would retain final approval of budgets and withdrawals. Steward funding would require transparent disclosure and safeguards. The framework also proposes an Open Contributions route allowing direct applications to DReps without a steward, though its allocation is unspecified. Common conflict procedures for steward-related funding remain undefined, with details pending. A tentative Nov. 10 submission would seek DRep support for the concept, with a 2027 trial contingent on approval. DReps would still control all treasury withdrawals.

Cardano's governance body, Intersect, has warned stake pool operators about a critical Linux vulnerability (CVE-2026-98432) that could allow hackers to crash servers or potentially take control of them. The flaw, rated 9.8 out of 10 in severity, affects servers running the Cardano network, which supports about 58% of the circulating ADA supply staked. No attacks on Cardano pools have been reported so far. The vulnerability was highlighted by Anthropic's Claude AI on October 27, which developed an attack exploiting multipath TCP. Patches are being rolled out unevenly, with upstream Linux fixed, but Ubuntu and Red Hat still working on fixes. While hijacking a pool doesn't give hackers access to staked ADA, which remains in holders' wallets, it could reduce block production and rewards. No fund losses have been linked to the flaw, and ADA's price impact is uncertain.

Cardano Foundation has joined Switzerland's Capital Markets and Technology Association (CMTA), following CMTA's recognition of Cardano's CIP-0113 token standard as technically equivalent to its CMTAT framework for tokenized shares. The October 6 decision covers equity securities but excludes tokenized debt and Cardano's underlying blockchain infrastructure. Individual issuers must still meet Swiss legal and certification requirements before receiving CMTA certification. Cardano launched CIP-0113 on its mainnet on October 7, introducing programmable controls for digital assets, including identity checks, transfer restrictions, and account freezes. The standard was already used on October 8 when Veridian, a company spun out from the Foundation, issued tokenized shares under Swiss distributed ledger legislation. No other company has yet been announced as committed to issuing CMTA-certified shares through Cardano's implementation. Cardano enters a market where Ethereum and Stellar already host tokenized securities projects. In 2023, Swiss private bank Cité Gestion received CMTA certification using the CMTAT smart contract on Ethereum, while Securitize announced plans to integrate its tokenization infrastructure on Stellar in late October.

Cardano developers have merged key Leios consensus and networking components, moving the network closer to a planned 15-fold increase in transaction capacity. The integration of Praos2, along with LeiosNotify and LeiosFetch, advances the rollout of the scaling system, which initially targets a three-to-fivefold capacity boost through the upcoming Dijkstra hard fork. Further expansions to 10-15 times current capacity will require additional governance approvals and performance testing. Cardano's Dijkstra testnet still operates under existing Conway rules, with the protocol transition awaiting node 11.2 and a hard-fork initiation action. Governance requirements, including a constitutional amendment and BLS key registration for at least 90-95% of delegated stake, must be met before activation. High-load exercises on mainnet will inform subsequent capacity increases, which require separate approvals from stake pool operators and delegated representatives.

Toto Finance, a Delaware-based tokenization firm, is requesting 22 million ADA (about $5 million) from Cardano's treasury to purchase physical copper reserves. The proposal, called the Cardano Strategic Copper Reserve, would use the funds to buy verified COMEX Grade 1 copper cathodes, tokenize them as CuTT tokens, and sell them after 18 to 24 months. However, the plan's break-even analysis requires copper prices to rise approximately 49.4% for the treasury to recover its full investment, as only about 67% of the requested funds would go directly toward purchasing the metal, with the rest covering technology, custody, insurance, and oversight costs. The governance vote is scheduled to run from epoch 661 to 668, expected to close around November 15, 2026. This request would consume more than half of Cardano's remaining 42.6 million ADA withdrawal allowance, making it a significant resource allocation decision. Toto Finance has ties to the ecosystem through the Cardano Foundation Accelerator and has pledged to return 100% of net sale proceeds plus unused funds to the treasury within 36 months, while retaining commercial rights to its tokenized-copper business. The vote will test whether the community views its treasury as a grant fund for builders or as an investment vehicle for market positions.

Toto Finance, a company that tokenizes physical commodities, is asking Cardano's community treasury for 22 million ADA (about $5 million) to buy copper. The proposal, called the Cardano Strategic Copper Reserve, would purchase exchange-grade copper stored in a COMEX-approved warehouse and tokenize it as CuTT. Voting closes Nov. 15. The investment would require copper to rise about 49.4% for the treasury to break even, assuming full budget spend and unchanged ADA price. Toto could receive up to 3.36 million ADA in fees, while retaining commercial rights to its tokenized-copper business. The proposal would use over half of Cardano's remaining withdrawal allowance, with no guarantee of principal return.

Cardano's public Dijkstra testnet (DijkstraNet) opened to stake pool operators on Oct. 21, ahead of node 11.2, which will support a planned upgrade to protocol version 12 without Leios. The network currently runs node 11.1.3, with the upgrade pending the next release. A separate MusashiNet prototype includes Leios, while formal node 11.3 development remains incomplete. Intersect's Oct. 22 bulletin said node 11.2 includes the full Dijkstra hard fork feature set aside from Leios and is expected to clear LSM for mainnet use, with memory requirements around 12 GB. Leios testing continues on MusashiNet, with Input Output estimating activation will require BLS voting keys covering 90-95% of stake. No mainnet activation date was provided. Upgrade preparations also include discussions on BLS key management, constitutional changes, and ecosystem risk reviews. A Hard Fork Working Group completed an initial risk log walkthrough, and a node diversity workshop is scheduled for Nov. 12-13 in London. Dijkstra's throughput targets remain estimates pending testing and governance.

Cardano Foundation said Cardano Academy will teach fundamentals in the University of Nicosia’s online blockchain course and sponsor 25 advanced-track places, valued at about €5,000, with registration closing Nov. 2 and the course starting Feb. 8, 2027. The session will cover Cardano fundamentals and the eUTxO model, with Ripple, Avalanche, and Trezor also contributing. Separately, a multi-year UCLA agreement will bring Academy content into a business course starting in 2027, plus five sponsored fellowships for early-stage companies. Earlier programs include an AI and blockchain course for business leaders and a Brazilian public-sector partnership with SERPRO.