Explained in the attached document

This document outlines Tweag by Modus Create’s proposals for a suite of core infrastructure projects aimed at advancing the technical foundations of the Cardano blockchain. These initiatives focus on novel, high-impact developments across key areas of the Cardano stack. In the months ahead, Tweag intends to collaborate closely with qualified suppliers, DReps, and Intersect to further shape the structure and scope of these engagements.

The proposals presented here represent Tweag’s intended contribution to Cardano’s continued evolution. We invite other ecosystem participants to submit complementary or competitive proposals, and we are open to exploring collaborative partnerships where aligned.

We have consolidated these projects into a single proposal to provide a cohesive view of our core roadmap delivery. We plan to actively seek community input to evaluate whether any of the initiatives should be pursued independently and will adapt our structure accordingly based on that feedback.

Proposal Benefit If implemented, this proposal will deliver transformative technical value to the Cardano ecosystem, accelerating development across critical areas of the network stack. The proposed initiatives—ranging from ledger conformance testing and Plutus re-execution tooling, to Genesis synchronization optimization, history expiry, and the development of a Cardano node emulator—are strategically aligned with Cardano’s long-term goals of scalability, performance, and verifiability.

Each project targets a specific technical challenge within the core infrastructure:

Peras, Canonical Ledger State, and Canonical Block and Transaction Diffusion Codecs improve interoperability, clarity, and consistency across the ecosystem.

Conformance Testing for Ledger and Consensus, alongside Black Box Ledger Testing, ensures protocol correctness and future-proofing through robust validation frameworks.

Plutus Script Re-Executor and Block Cost Investigation provide practical tools for performance benchmarking and Plutus optimization, directly benefiting DApp developers and toolmakers.

The Genesis Sync Accelerator and Hoarding Node address network-level performance bottlenecks, improving bootstrap times and reliability.

The Cardano-node-emulator and History Expiry initiative contribute to better testing, debugging, and long-term node sustainability.

Collectively, these projects support developers, researchers, node operators, DReps, and governance actors by reinforcing the reliability, performance, and maintainability of Cardano’s core systems.

The return on investment to the Cardano community is clear:

Faster network upgrades

Reduced onboarding friction

Improved protocol transparency

Better tooling for smart contract teams

More resilient and testable infrastructure

Backed by Tweag by Modus Create and a consortium of trusted ecosystem contributors, this proposal combines deep technical experience with proven delivery capability. It not only addresses current pain points but lays the groundwork for Cardano’s continued success as a scalable, decentralized, and open blockchain platform.

Explained in the attached document

Please see the attached document.

Estimates and project costs are noted in the attached document. The total proposal cost is: USD 7,307,520

At Tweag by Modus Create, we offer a unique combination of deep technical expertise and strategic consulting capabilities, with a long-standing commitment to open-source and decentralized systems. EURL Tweag has been in business for over a decade, having started in 2013, and has built a reputation for engineering excellence across critical infrastructure projects.

Since January 2018, we have been continuously engaged with IOG (Input Output Global) on a variety of initiatives within the Cardano ecosystem, including conducting audits and core protocol development. Since May 2021, we have also provided formal audits for the Cardano ecosystem, helping to ensure the reliability and security of mission-critical code.

Our team has played a leading role in the development of Cardano’s core infrastructure, including leading the consensus and ledger teams, implementing the Ouroboros Genesis protocol, and contributing to the design of Ouroboros Peras. We have been involved in nearly all aspects of the core Cardano node, giving us a comprehensive understanding of the system's architecture, roadmap, and strategic direction.

Beyond Cardano, we bring deep, practical experience with Haskell, Rust, and a wide range of technologies used in polyglot projects, enabling us to engineer scalable, secure, and high-performance systems across domains.

As part of Modus Create, a global digital transformation consulting firm, we are backed by a diverse team of strategists, designers, and technologists who help the world’s leading brands build digital advantage. Modus Create specializes in strategic consulting, full lifecycle product development, platform modernization, and digital operations and is an official partner of top-tier technology providers such as Atlassian, AWS, and GitHub. This global reach and cross-disciplinary strength provide our clients with unmatched capabilities throughout the full product development lifecycle.

This proposal reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing Cardano’s mission through rigorous engineering, strategic alignment, and high-impact delivery.

Explained in the attached document

TSC, Community, draft TSC budget

Explained in the attached document