1. Research questions Based on the briefing, we have condensed the 42+ questions into 8 that we consider key:

1.1 Who are Cardano’s current and potential users, and what are their unmet needs? Personas, segmentation, and opportunity sizing:

• What motivates existing users, and what are their pain points?
• What unmet needs exist across user types (e.g. developers, SPOs, institutions, users)?
• Which audiences have the greatest potential for growth or adoption?

1.2 What are the most promising use cases for Cardano, and what’s missing to realize them? Product-market fit and opportunity mapping:

• Which use cases are “must-have” (hygienic) vs. “differentiators”?
• Where has Cardano succeeded or failed, and why?
• What competitive gaps prevent adoption of high-potential use cases?

1.3 What barriers exist to building and integrating on Cardano today? Developer experience, tooling, and onboarding

• What are the technical, tooling, or onboarding blockers?
• What integrations or SDKs would simplify development?
• How does Cardano compare with other ecosystems from a builder perspective?

1.4 How is Cardano perceived — inside and outside the ecosystem — and what shapes that perception? Brand equity, reputation, and narrative analysis:

• How do developers, users, and the broader public view Cardano?
• What differentiators are recognized (e.g., security, sustainability)?
• What narratives are missing or misunderstood?

1.5 How do regional needs, opportunities, and adoption barriers differ? Geographic segmentation and localized insight

• What role do cultural, economic, or regulatory factors play?
• Which regions are underrepresented or underserved?
• How can regional insights shape roadmap priorities?

1.6 What mechanisms enable or inhibit funding, innovation, and talent retention? Ecosystem finance and resource dynamics

• Are current funding models effective and accessible?
• What types of projects struggle to secure support?
• How can talent be retained and attracted?

1.7 What does the Cardano community want from the future of the ecosystem? Internal vision, motivation, and participation dynamics

• What do contributors and stakeholders want to see prioritized?
• What causes engagement or disengagement?
• How can participation be sustained and expanded?

1.8 How should Cardano prioritize features and investments to align short-term engagement with long-term vision? Strategic alignment and governance

• How can near-term initiatives serve a 5-year roadmap?
• What features or directions should be accelerated vs. deprioritized?
• How can research outputs guide governance and funding decisions?

2. Deliverables The following deliverables are the keys to answering these questions, and to ongoingly fuel the strategic development of Cardano in the future.

• Personas & ecosystem segmentation (users, devs, builders, orgs)
• Use case opportunity map (must-haves, differentiators, region-specific)
• Competitive landscape & perception study
• Community pulse report (motivations, blockers, desires)
• Initial set of Cardano Problem Statements (CPSs)
• Research archive hosted in an open-access repository

3. Research Architecture: Methods by Question Cluster Research Philosophy: This proposal applies a rigorous, multi-method research approach grounded in behavioral and market research best practices. It’s designed to generate actionable, trustworthy, and community-aligned insights to inform Cardano’s roadmap, strategy, and 2030 vision. We do high-complexity, international multi-method research since 2001 and build our approach on seniority, best practices and full transparency.

Evidence + Structure + Participation: We don’t just ask questions — we know how to design the right research to answer them. Our methodology combines expert-led qualitative research, quantitative validation, and cross-stakeholder triangulation. It’s designed to surface deep insights while remaining lean, scalable, and inclusive.

We believe that:

• Qualitative depth reveals “why” people behave the way they do.
• Quantitative scale validates and prioritizes.
• Community participation ensures relevance, acceptance, and sustainability.
• Comparative analysis helps sharpen Cardano’s unique positioning.

Each core research question is addressed using a modular research method, ensuring efficiency, alignment, and coverage. Below is a structured connection from question → methods → deliverables:

Who are Cardano’s current and potential users, and what are their unmet needs? -> In-depth interviews, journey mapping, persona modeling -> Persona library, user needs clusters, adoption map

What are the most promising use cases for Cardano, and what’s missing to realize them? -> Co-creation workshops, benchmarking, case studies, surveys ->Use case taxonomy, opportunity scoring matrix, gap analysis

What barriers exist to building and integrating on Cardano today? -> Toolchain audits, dev surveys, exit interviews -> Builder pain point map, SDK/tooling gap list, onboarding report

How is Cardano perceived — inside and outside the ecosystem? -> Perception interviews, sentiment analysis, SWOT workshops -> Perception matrix, SWOT benchmark, narrative map

How do regional needs, opportunities, and adoption barriers differ? -> Regional workshops, local interviews, geo-surveys -> Regional opportunity maps, localized personas, geo-strategy recs

What mechanisms enable or inhibit funding, innovation, and talent retention? -> Funding analysis, interviews with funded/unfunded teams -> Funding gap map, resource flow report, talent insights

What does the Cardano community want from the future of the ecosystem? -> Open story collection, community pulse surveys, focus groups -> Contributor motivation report, engagement profile, roadmap inputs

How should Cardano prioritize features and investments? -> Insight synthesis canvases, prioritization workshops, CPS templates -> Ranked feature list, validated CPSs, strategic alignment brief

3.1 User Needs & Personas Know your user - you are not your user. If we want to understand the users’ needs, we need to overcome “the user” and achieve a differentiated, multi-dimensional approach through insights and data analysis. We can then even map specific product features to user types, and evaluate adoption and usage uplift and growth opportunity (this is where the magic comes into a roadmap: effort X impact).

Methods:

• In-depth interviews with selected builders, SPOs, users, enterprises to understand perspectives, identify patterns, gather insights.
• Journey mapping for key user types
• Modelling of evocative and actionable personas to inform development and decision making.

Deliverables:

• Persona library / card set (user, builder, org)
• User needs clusters: What do they need, what alternatives do they have, how could Cardona solve or better serve their needs?
• Adoption barriers and opportunities map: Why are people not using Cardano, what needs to be done to win them over?
• Integration into marketing, analytics and operations: How can you make sure that the insights and intelligence can be easily used, confirmed and refined?

3.2 Use Case Discovery & Product-Market Fit To understand growth opportunities, we need to identify use cases that create value outside of the current community ecosystem, while being in line with the community goals and motivations.

Methods: Use case co-creation workshops Competitor benchmarking (feature/function comparison) Survey with industry and org partners Case studies of success and failure (Cardano + other chains)

Deliverables:

• Use case taxonomy: hygienic, differentiator, aspirational

• Opportunity scoring matrix: What is under-served, elasticity, credibility

• Use case–platform gap analysis: Where to grow.

3.3 Builder Barriers & Developer Experience Especially for long-term community members, the value and beauty of Cardano is obvious. But to help the adoption of new builders and developers, we need to understand how to easy usage, adoption and even contribution.

Methods:

• Toolchain audits
• Developer experience surveys: The good, the bad and the ugly.
• Interviews with developers who left or chose other platforms: What do others better, what can we learn from them?

Deliverables:

• Builder pain point map, potentially along a life-time journey (from first contact to exit).
• SDK/tooling gap list: What is missing, what would ease their life? Ideally with a score matrix.
• Onboarding friction report: Where do people drop or give up; what could be done?

3.5 Regional Needs & Adoption Gaps Cardano has a thriving international community with different needs, capabilities and interests. We want to understand what the regional requirements and opportunities are. This is best done by informants in different regions, potentially complemented by dedicated insights workshops.

Methods:

• Local expert interviews + microgrants for regional researchers
• Regional insight workshops (target: Africa, LATAM, SEA, Europe)
• Geo-segmented surveys

Deliverables:

• Regional opportunity maps
• Localized personas and use cases
• Recommendations for geo-sensitive strategy

3.6 Funding Mechanisms & Talent Dynamics Funding is a key mechanism of Cardano do drive development. Understanding these mechanics allows us to better adjust them and to ensure that they contribute in an efficient way to the product vision and strategy.

Methods:

• Funding process analysis: How is it currently done, what kind of incentives does it create, what are the side effects?
• Interviews with funded and unfunded teams: The good, the bad and the ugly.
• Talent exit interviews & retention case studies

Deliverables:

• Funding gap map
• Ecosystem resource flow report
• Talent friction and retention insights

3.7 Community Aspirations & Contribution Dynamics The magic of “Cardano” is the result of many people contributing to an ecosystem, with different motivations, goals and resources. By finding valid indicators for happiness, dissatisfaction and engagement, we can learn and react early. Consequently, this research part can be the initiation of an ongoing “pulse”.

Methods:

• Open story collection (motivations, frustrations)
• Community pulse survey: How does it change over time; potentially identifying causes.
• Structured group interviews and discussions (aka Focus Groups)

Deliverables:

• Cardano Contributor Motivation Report (potentially on a yearly basis)
• Engagement strength/weakness profile
• Contributor-led roadmap inputs (feasibility, impact, acceptance, motivation)

3.8 Prioritization Framework & CPS Generation With limited resources, Cardano needs to prioritise on the features and work streams that are most efficiently contributing to the strategy and vision. At the same time, with Cardano building on community contribution, we need to design a process that motivates, incentives engagement and allows for alignment and collaborative speed. Especially this part is also directly paying into the strategy and vision development for 2030.

Methods:

• Insight synthesis canvases (especially themes, opportunities, “how might we”).
• Prioritization workshops (cross-stakeholder), to understand the value of each feature / work stream.
• Cardano Problem Statement (CPS) creation templates

Deliverables:

• Ranked opportunity and feature list
• Validated Cardano Problem Statements (CPSs)
• Strategic alignment brief (short-term ↔ long-term)

To guide Cardano’s growth toward 2030, we must move beyond assumptions and base decisions on structured, real-world insights. Currently, key product decisions are made without foundational research into who uses Cardano, who does not, and what users and builders truly need. Insights are fragmented, and there is no unified view of user needs, builder challenges, or regional priorities.

This gap risks misaligned tools, features, and strategies that do not meet the market or community’s needs. Our proposal addresses this by launching Cardano’s first comprehensive, cross-regional product research program. Using multiple research methods, we will systematically identify user and builder needs, regional dynamics, and adoption barriers.

This initiative ensures Cardano’s roadmap is both visionary and validated—grounded in real evidence and aligned with the needs of its global community.

This initiative will generate the core insights needed to guide Cardano’s roadmap and 2030 vision. We will deliver personas, use case maps, community sentiment analysis, and region-specific adoption data — all open and reusable.

Benefits by group:

• For ecosystem planners: Roadmap-aligned insights and validated priorities.
• For developers: Pain point mapping and SDK/tooling recommendations.
• For projects & partners: Clear signals on where growth is possible.
• For the community: Recognition of needs, frustrations, and motivations — turning participation into co-ownership.

The result: a smarter, more inclusive Cardano — built on real data.

This proposal delivers concrete, open-access research outputs that directly support Cardano’s roadmap, governance, and builder ecosystem. All deliverables are designed for practical use and long-term relevance.

Tangible Milestones

1. Persona Library Validated personas and journey maps for users, builders, SPOs, and ecosystem partners — segmented by motivations, roles, and adoption readiness.

2. Use Case Taxonomy & Opportunity Map A clear framework distinguishing “must-have” (hygienic), differentiating, and aspirational use cases — with adoption potential across geographies and industries.

3. Builder Experience Reports Toolchain and SDK audits, onboarding friction maps, and developer pain point analyses — co-created with builders and contributors.

4. Community Pulse & Contributor Report Insights into what drives or discourages participation in the ecosystem — structured by engagement signals and motivation profiles.

5. Regional Opportunity Maps Profiles for Africa, LATAM, SEA, and Eastern Europe highlighting local user needs, constraints, and ecosystem growth levers.

6. Funding & Talent Flow Analysis Clear visuals and interview findings showing where funding and talent succeed, stall, or leak from the ecosystem.

7. Ecosystem Perception & SWOT Report Comparative narrative benchmarking to reveal how Cardano is seen internally and externally — and where its messaging and perception need to evolve.

8. Validated Cardano Problem Statements (CPSs) A minimum of 10 ecosystem-wide CPSs based on real evidence — directly usable by Intersect, Catalyst proposers, CIP authors, and governance contributors.

9. Final Research Synthesis Report A strategic overview connecting all findings to Cardano’s 2026 roadmap and the broader 2030 vision — delivered in a public, accessible format.

10. Insight Repository All interviews, survey data, synthesis documents, and workshop outputs hosted in an open-access archive for long-term reuse.

What the Community Receives

• A shared, evidence-based understanding of Cardano’s users, builders, and strategic opportunities
• Research tools and personas that can be reused across funding rounds, working groups, and onboarding initiatives
• A set of prioritized challenges and problem statements for more efficient governance, roadmapping, and proposal alignment
• Regional equity: research that listens to and reflects global community needs — not just core markets
• Open knowledge infrastructure that can grow with the ecosystem

In short, the community receives not just answers — but a shared language to build, coordinate, and evolve Cardano’s future together.

Total Requested Budget: 520,000 ADA (approx. $260,000 USD equivalent at $0.50/ADA)

Cost Breakdown:

• 40,000 ADA – Project setup and coordination (stakeholder alignment, planning, project management)
• 100,000 ADA – Qualitative research
• 60,000 ADA – Quantitative research (survey design, platform fees, data analysis, incentives)
• 80,000 ADA – Regional research partner grants (microgrants for Africa, LATAM, SEA, Eastern Europe)
• 30,000 ADA – Persona & journey mapping (persona synthesis, segmentation, user types)
• 25,000 ADA – Use case opportunity mapping (impact/effort matrix, market benchmarking)
• 25,000 ADA – Builder experience audits (onboarding analysis, SDK/tooling gap research)
• 25,000 ADA – Community pulse & contributor report (engagement signals, retention insights)
• 35,000 ADA – CPS drafting & prioritization workshops (insight synthesis, workshops, CPS creation)
• 50,000 ADA – Final report and open archive (documentation, formatting, public repository)
• 50,000 ADA – Contingency, translation, accessibility (regional language support, inclusion tools)

Total: 520,000 ADA

Unused funds will be returned or transparently reallocated in collaboration with Intersect.

Team Structure

• Project Lead / Research Director (1 FTE) – Oversees timeline, partner coordination, quality control
• Lead Qualitative Researcher (1 FTE) – Interviews, analysis, persona synthesis
• Quantitative Analyst / Survey Designer (0.5 FTE) – Survey design, data segmentation, adoption scoring
• Insight Synthesist & Writer (0.5 FTE) – Report drafting, CPS creation, final deliverable synthesis
• Community Liaison & Regional Coordination (0.5 FTE) – Supports partner researchers, ensures geographic inclusion

Supporting Contributors:

• 5–10 Regional Researchers via microgrants
• Facilitators & Advisors – Help guide interpretation and feedback loops

Disruptive Elements GmbH https://disruptive-elements.com/

Disruptive Elements GmbH is a digital agency and venture builder at the forefront of AI, ED-TECH, Web 3 and blockchain technologies. We thrive on collaborating with NGOs, leveraging our expertise to drive impactful initiatives in this realm.

Composed of visionaries, researchers, developers, and project implementers, we empower decision-makers and businesses to navigate the digital landscape by providing comprehensive (IT) methodologies and implementation expertise, leading to market-ready solutions.

• 20+ years of experience in multi-method, user-centered research and strategic foresight
• 20+ years of experience in digital product development
• Led international public service design, open-source product strategy, and blockchain ecosystem development
• A network of regional research partners on 4 continents, ready to support local insight collection
• 5+ years of experience in Blockchain development with a wide range of projects realized
• Lecturer for Blockchain at the HKW University Berlin

When it comes to experience with Cardano:

• Direct experience with Cardano dReps, SPOs, and builders through previous participation in Catalyst, Intersect, and independent projects
• Hosting the SmartFutures event with UNDP, funded by Project Catalyst, during the Berlin Blockchain Week, bringing together high-profile experts to collaborate in onboarding more UNDP and supply chain use cases to Cardano.
• Hosted two Masterclass Workshops with UNDP and UNHCR at the Cardano Summit in Dubai 2024
• Spoke as Keynote Speakers at the Cardano Summit 2024 in Dubai and Cardano Summit in Berlin 2023 and 2022
• Advising Cardano-based projects like SmartPlaces

We are also the author of the "Complement to the community proposal: Cardano 2030 Vision - A Futures Weaving Process" proposal, ensuring seamless alignment between insight generation and strategic visioning.

Disruptive Elements delivers pioneering projects in blockchain, AI, and digital innovation. Highlights include:

• Stahlo Stahlservice: Developed a blockchain-based CO₂ tracking system for green steel supply chains.
• DiBooq: Implemented a notarial layer for real-time blockchain booking calendars in the vacation rental market.
• SmartPlaces: Strategic consulting and whitepaper for a Connect2Earn ecosystem, monetizing social interactions in a decentralized, data-sovereign environment.
• Welthungerhilfe #innolab: Co-created a peer-to-peer price oracle prototype to combat hunger, in collaboration with the Cardano Foundation.

Other notable clients: Volkswagen AG, HERE Technologies, ADAC, Continental, Roland Berger, Condé Nast, United Soft Media, Sparwelt AG, UBS AG, Hamburger Volksbank.

The primary deliverables of this research proposal are knowledge-based: reports, personas, datasets, maps, and Cardano Problem Statements (CPSs). These are designed for long-term reuse and open access, rather than requiring continuous development.

Maintenance and support will include:

• Open-access hosting of all research artifacts in a structured, searchable repository (e.g., GitHub, IPFS, or Intersect-hosted portal). This ensures transparency and future accessibility for dReps, Catalyst proposers, builders, and governance actors.

• Modular format design, making the outputs easy to update, extend, or integrate into new working groups or future research rounds.

• Optional refresh cycles (e.g. annually or bi-annually), which could be proposed in future funding rounds to update key deliverables like personas, adoption barriers, and sentiment tracking.

• Ownership handover model: Deliverables can be handed to an Intersect-aligned research working group or ecosystem coordination team to ensure updates remain community-rooted and interoperable with other strategic planning tools.

Estimated ongoing cost: Minimal, estimated at $5,000–10,000/year if light updates or facilitation are required.

This model keeps the insights alive and relevant, without creating unnecessary dependencies or overhead.

Endorsed by Cardano Foundation. This proposal aims to complement the “Cardano Product Committee: Community-driven 2030 Cardano Vision and 2026 roadmap insights collection via workshops and structured product research”

This research initiative depends on coordination and access to key ecosystem actors and data sources to ensure its quality, reach, and reusability. Specifically, we rely on:

• Coordination with the Intersect Product Committee for alignment, roadmap integration, and feedback throughout the process.
• Access to existing Cardano surveys, reports, and ecosystem data to avoid duplication and enrich comparative insights.
• Support from community leaders, SPOs, dReps, and Intersect Hubs to help promote participation and secure interview and survey engagement.
• Microgrant infrastructure or logistical support to enable regional researchers and contributors in Africa, LATAM, SEA, and Eastern Europe.
• Availability of communication channels (e.g. Catalyst announcements, official forums, Discord groups) to recruit participants and distribute research calls.

These dependencies ensure that the research is ecosystem-integrated, avoids redundancy, and yields actionable insights that Intersect, builders, and governance participants can confidently apply.