Cardano governance fight grows as Hoskinson audits 11,000 DAOs

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has started a broad review of more than 11,000 decentralized autonomous organizations as debate grows over how the network should fund research, product work, and future governance changes. 

The review comes during a tense period for Cardano’s treasury system and its 2027 constitution process.

Hoskinson said he has begun a governance review covering more than 11,000 DAOs and a decade of research inside and outside crypto. He said the work will study executive function, roadmap control, and strategy setting across different governance models.

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He added that the goal is to suggest new features for Cardano governance through the constitution and new technology. He also said he may become a delegate representative and host a mini-convention before the 2027 process.

Cardano funding vote creates pressure

The review comes as Cardano faces a dispute over a 32.9 million ADA proposal to fund Input Output Global’s research lab for another year. Related coverage reported that 81% of active stake opposed the proposal as of May 22.

Some delegate representatives want clearer milestones and open requests for proposals instead of direct renewal for IOG. The vote runs through June 8, placing Cardano’s research budget at the center of its on-chain governance system.

Research model meets product demands

Hoskinson has argued that Cardano’s identity depends on its science-based approach. Earlier reports said he warned the network could lose researchers if the funding proposal fails, with the lab also facing closure risk.

He also said, “Cardano is the science coin,” while defending research funding. The debate has drawn calls for more direct support for products that may bring users and liquidity, including DeFi tools, bridges, rollups, privacy features, and other applications.

Cardano revenue adds to constitution debate

DefiLlama data showed Cardano with about $517 in 24-hour chain revenue, $2,583 in chain fees, and $1.83 million in DEX volume. The same tracker listed ADA’s market cap near $9.08 billion.

Those figures have made governance spending a more public issue for the network. Supporters of tighter budgets want clearer results from treasury funds, while research supporters say deep technical work remains part of Cardano’s base.

Hoskinson’s DAO review now gives the community a new path for debate. His plan centers on governance design rather than one funding vote, and it may feed into the next constitution process.

The review could shape how Cardano handles roadmaps, executive functions, budget control, and conflict between developers and voters. For now, the June 8 vote remains the near-term test for the network’s treasury process.