This initiative equips Cardano with the intelligence it needs to compete, connect, and grow - all while backed by data, not assumptions.

Who Benefits?

• The entire Cardano community, from developers to ecosystem partners, as well as institutional supporters and end-users.
• Catalyst participants and governance stakeholders who can make better decisions with clearer insights.
• The marketing and communications teams who can better deploy Cardano messaging that actually resonates, globally.

Demonstrated Value / ROI

Sharper Differentiation: Clear benchmarking against other Layer 1s to define what makes Cardano different, and why it matters.

Smarter Campaign and Higher Marketing Efficiency: Messaging and narratives will be tested and validated before launch. Insights will help allocate resources to the most impactful narratives, channels, and audiences, maximizing reach while minimizing waste.

Faster Adoption: By addressing barriers to understanding and engagement, audience insights remove friction, and can help bring in the next wave of developers, enterprises, and ecosystem partners.

Increased Community Confidence: A transparent, research-informed strategy signals to the community that Cardano is not only mission-driven but also market-smart, instilling confidence in its direction and decisions.

Stronger Perception: Real-time brand tracking and sentiment analysis ensure Cardano stays ahead of the narrative and top-of-mind globally.

Bottom Line

This work makes every dollar spent on marketing smarter, every campaign more effective, and every message more aligned with what the world needs to hear from Cardano right now.

The Wachsman proposal is designed to:

• Sharpen Cardano’s market positioning through competitor benchmarking.
• Drive ecosystem awareness and engagement by understanding what resonates with different user segments.
• Validate messaging and narrative strategies to ensure campaigns are evidence-based and adoption-focused.
• Support innovation uptake by translating complex product developments into audience-relevant communications.

In short, the proposal enhances how Cardano’s innovations are understood, adopted, and advocated, making it a strong fit for the Marketing and Innovation category.

If implemented, this proposal will deliver the following benefits to both the Cardano ecosystem and real-world communities in Africa:

• Boost ADA liquidity and trading volume by collaborating with leading African exchanges such as Busha, driving institutional-grade market-making and broader retail participation through improved price stability and trading incentives.

• Introduce USDA as a trusted, dollar-pegged stablecoin across remittance-focused apps and fintech platforms including Ejara and Nestcoin, enabling secure, low-cost cross-border payments and savings—especially for users affected by currency devaluation.

• Bridge Cardano DeFi with active user bases by embedding ADA/USDA access into consumer-facing wallets and platforms, unlocking real utility via lending, swapping, and stable yield generation, powered by the Cardano stack.

• Facilitate onboarding and financial education via regional community hubs, integrating wallet tools, user training, and localized support to scale adoption sustainably and inclusively.

ROI for the Cardano Community includes:

• Substantial increase in transaction volume and TVL (total value locked) as Cardano-native assets are adopted across high-need, high-growth African markets.

• Meaningful growth in DeFi participation from previously untapped user segments, driven by real economic needs (remittances, saving, yield-seeking).

• Tangible expansion of ADA and USDA use in day-to-day finance, increasing network stickiness and long-term value capture.

• Increased developer and enterprise engagement in Africa, leading to deeper Cardano infrastructure integration and broader ecosystem resilience.

Sandsphere Core provides open-source infrastructure that helps the entire Cardano community: Fractionalized yield-bearing investment contracts (Aiken) to accelerate protocol development

USDA integration wrapper to support stablecoin adoption across dApps

Multisig controller module to power pooling, cooperatives, and DAOs

Real-world deployment in Africa and MENA to validate global use This empowers builders, strengthens Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem, and fulfills the network’s mission of programmable, inclusive financial access, in line with the Cardano Commercial Roadmap.

Additional benefits include:

1.⁠ ⁠Asset-backed adoption: Brings real-world value to the Cardano Blockchain, positioning it as a global asset registry, increasing TVL, liquidity pools and cross-chain investment. 2.⁠ ⁠Institutional adoption: Private equity and sustainability funds are far more comfortable on regulated-friendly blockchains with energy efficiency such as Cardano, especially inline with Cardano’s Commercial Roadmap. 3.⁠ ⁠Recurring transaction volume: Stablecoin liquidity on Cardano, impact reporting, dividends and governance actions.

Key Impact Areas: Stablecoin Expansion, Market Maker & Exchange Growth, DeFi Incentives & TVL Growth, Cross-Chain Expansion, Institutional DeFi & RWA

Eternl addresses this need with a secure, feature-rich wallet available across multiple platforms. Eternl is a wallet for all ADA holders.

Integrating Maestro’s infrastructure to enable Cardano as the smart contract layer for Bitcoin would generate substantial benefits across several layers of the Cardano developer ecosystem:

1. Cardano DeFi Developers: Developers of DeFi applications (such as lending protocols like Fluidtokens) will gain immediate access to Bitcoin’s immense liquidity pool, significantly expanding their potential user base andTVL. Maestro’s integration enables developers to tap directly into Bitcoin’s economic activity, dramatically increasing capital efficiency and profitability. Demonstrated value includes:

• Significant growth in TVL, user engagement, and protocol revenues.
• Easier user onboarding from Bitcoin-native communities.

2. Wallet Developers (Tokeo, Begin, Lace, etc.):
   Wallet applications will benefit from vastly expanded user functionality. By supporting direct Bitcoin-to-Cardano interactions, wallets can offer their users advanced features like Bitcoin-backed lending, staking, governance, and seamless cross-chain payments. Demonstrated value includes:

• Increased wallet adoption and user retention.
• Expanded revenue streams through cross-chain transaction fees and premium DeFi services.

3. Layer 2 Solutions and Protocols (Midgard, Sundial, zkFold, BitcoinOS, Midnight):
   Cardano’s Layer 2 ecosystems will benefit by directly integrating with Bitcoin’s user base. L2 solutions gain additional utility and liquidity, allowing their technologies (privacy layers, zero-knowledge rollups, sidechains) to achieve broader adoption and market validation. Demonstrated value includes:

• Accelerated adoption and developer traction for L2 solutions.
• Enabling innovative financial products and privacy-oriented services previously unavailable to Bitcoin holders.

4. Cardano Ecosystem Overall: The direct Bitcoin integration positions Cardano uniquely in the broader blockchain landscape. It would transform Cardano into the default execution and innovation layer for Bitcoin DeFi, attracting both institutional and retail adoption. Demonstrated value includes:

• Enhanced market positioning as the leading decentralized finance ecosystem linked to Bitcoin.
• Substantial increase in ecosystem visibility, credibility, and investment inflows.

Ultimately, the proposed integration presents Cardano with an opportunity to become the primary hub for Bitcoin’s smart contract innovation and DeFi, unlocking extensive economic value, developer growth, and cross-chain collaboration.

Benefits include:

• The Cardano treasury receiving significant revenue
• The Hydra open source community would receive a production-ready predeveloped open-source payment system (including stable coin-backed points systems)
  • Including web2 REST API for payments, and point of sale QR code payments
• Japanese Cardano community would receive municipal government adoption and endorsement. Japanese Cardano user community would expand on the order of millions (Symons right now is ~3M users)
• Via points investment similar to PayPay's crypto investments, the number of Cardano token holders (not limited only to ADA) would grow significantly.
• Expired points reclamation, after one year of inactivity, would benefit Japanese local governments, non-profits, small businesses, infrastructure, and workers. Points expiration is standard in the Japanese points market because it frees up points which can often become inaccessible, encourages prompt point usage, and creates highly active returning customers. However, most points companies remove all of these points from circulation. Aira recirculates them back into local communities, creating a self-sustaining local circular economy. Aira will work jointly with local governments to determine the usage of expired points, to ensure unique local needs are prioritized.
• Increased business revenue in rural Japan would directly benefit rural Japanese governments, businesses, and workers.

This proposal aims to decentralize Cardano partnerships by intentionally extending their reach to underrepresented regions—particularly Africa. While we applaud the impressive partnerships forming in other parts of the world, it's disheartening to see a lack of representation from a continent that arguably stands to benefit the most from blockchain innovation.

The benefits of this proposal are both pragmatic and philosophical. It aligns with Cardano’s core values of decentralization, inclusivity, and real-world impact. Furthermore, it positions Africa as a fertile ground for Cardano-based solutions in areas such as governance, banking, identity, education, and health—where traditional systems often fall short.

If Cardano is to become the blockchain of global relevance, Africa cannot be left behind. On the contrary, it could become the region where Cardano sees its most meaningful adoption. This proposal is a strategic step in cementing that future.

The GMC marketing proposal aims to provide a structured and transparent approach to planning, executing, and evaluating various marketing efforts. Specifically, the proposal addresses the need for:

• Strategic direction: Ensuring decentralized marketing efforts align with a unified global brand strategy.

• Clear funding recommendations: Determining the necessary funding from the Cardano Treasury for the 2025 Marketing Budget.

• Accountability and oversight: Establish mechanisms for accountability of Vendor Partners and the oversight of the marketing programs through a Marketing Program Manager (MPM).

• Justified budget estimates: Providing budget estimates for each Workstream based on detailed descriptions and industry data.

• Flexible fund allocation: Allowing flexibility in committing funds and the possibility of rolling over uncommitted funds.

• Performance evaluation: Implementing a system for evaluating the performance of Vendor Partners and the overall effectiveness of the marketing initiatives.

• Community engagement: Developing programs to support and enhance the marketing capabilities of the Cardano community and ecosystem projects.

If implemented, the proposal would provide several key benefits to various parts of the Cardano community. These benefits include:

1. Support for Product Roadmap and Go-To-Market (GTM) Success:

• Benefit: The Product Marketing Planning & GTM Workstream will align marketing with Cardano's 2025 product milestones, creating a cohesive strategy to promote key projects and updates.Demonstrated Value/ROI: The $1.5M budget (split between planning and campaigns) could yield outsized returns by boosting adoption of major milestones, measurable through user acquisition rates, transaction volumes, and market sentiment shifts.

2. Enhanced Global Brand Recognition and Reputation:

• Benefit: The development of a unified Global Brand Strategy, Creative Campaigns, and a robust Public Relations program would position Cardano as a leading Web3 project with a consistent and professional identity. This includes increased media presence in high-value outlets, thought leadership opportunities, and a stronger social media footprint.

• Demonstrated Value/ROI: Benchmarking against Web3 peers (e.g., Solana, Uniswap) suggests that a well-executed brand strategy can drive ecosystem adoption and user growth, metrics that could be tracked via KPIs like audience reach, engagement rates, and developer onboarding (as monitored by the Marketing Program Manager).

3. Improved Community Engagement and Empowerment:

• Benefit: Workstreams like the Marketing Community Grants Program, Community Management, and External Education & Long-Form Content would provide direct financial support, resources, and educational tools to community members and ecosystem projects. This fosters grassroots marketing efforts, grows an active user base.

• Demonstrated Value/ROI: The proposal cites the goal of producing "a new wave of Cardano evangelists" and increasing ecosystem adoption. ROI could be measured through metrics like community growth (e.g., Discord/Telegram members), increase in Dreps, active participation in governance, project participation rates, and network usage stats, aligning with industry benchmarks of ~10% revenue reinvested in marketing yielding proportional ecosystem growth.

4. Strategic Event Presence and Ecosystem Activation:

• Benefit: The Event Management & Marketing Workstream would unify Cardano's event strategy, covering the Cardano Summit, regional gatherings, and industry event sponsorships. This increases opportunities for community networking & education, and showcasing ecosystem advancements both within and beyond the core community.

• Focusing on:

• Enterprises: Position Cardano as leader for the enterprise infrastructure segment.

• Builders: Events provide platforms to present projects, attract funding, and collaborate, boosting innovation.

• Developers: new developers onboarding.

• Community Members: Regional and community events foster inclusion and participation, especially in diverse global markets.

• Broader Web3 Audience: Sponsorships at industry events elevate Cardano's profile among competitors and potential partners/contributors.

• Demonstrated Value/ROI: Historical data from Cardano Foundation Events (2022-2024) likely showed measurable outcomes (e.g., attendance, partnerships formed), and the proposal's scale suggests a higher ROI through increased event impact, potentially tracked via attendance numbers, media coverage, and subsequent ecosystem activity.

5. Data-Driven Marketing and Accountability:

• Benefit: The Program Administration, Reporting & ROI Workstream and Market Research, Testing & Strategic Planning Workstream ensure the marketing program is guided by facts, overseen by a Marketing Program Manager (MPM), and evaluated with clear KPIs. This maximizes accountability, minimizes waste and maximizes effectiveness.

• Demonstrated Value/ROI: The proposal references Gartner and Deloitte findings where ~10% of revenue spent on marketing, yields proportional returns in brand equity and revenue growth. For Cardano, with a ~$1B+ revenue profile, this could translate to significant ecosystem value, measurable via Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) and program attribution metrics in the MPM's Annual Report.

6. Demonstrated Value or Return on Investment to the Cardano Community

The proposal's value lies in its potential to transform Cardano's marketing from ad hoc efforts into a strategic, community-aligned investment. Key ROI indicators include:

• Ecosystem Growth: Increased developer activity, dApp usage, and transaction volumes, as seen in Web3 peers like Ethereum and Polygon after marketing investments.

• Brand Equity: Higher awareness and trust, quantifiable via audience scoring, media placements, and social media metrics (e.g., follower growth, engagement).

• Community Activation: More active members and evangelists, tracked through participation in grants, events, and community channels.

• Financial Efficiency: The flexibility to roll over unspent funds and rigorous vendor performance evaluations (Outstanding, Average, Unacceptable) ensure Treasury resources are optimized, preserving ADA's value for future use.

This proposal benchmarks against Web3 leaders and industry standards (e.g., 10% of revenue) for a strong ROI. For Cardano, with a ~$1B+ revenue profile, a proportionate marketing spend could drive $100M+ in ecosystem value annually (assuming linear returns), though actual outcomes depend on execution and market conditions.

Proposal Benefit to the Cardano Community

• For Builders: Tools to drive product adoption, launch campaigns, and track marketing ROI transparently.
• For SPOs: Access to campaign tools that reward affiliates based on delegation growth.
• For Marketers & Creators: A new way to earn income through on-chain, performance-based rewards.
• For the Ecosystem: A stronger pipeline of market-ready projects with branding, marketing, and go-to-market strategies.

Key Impact

• More delegations to SPOs
• More active users for dApps
• More token sales and real adoption for Cardano-based projects
• Direct business development and marketing support for Cardano Builders.

Building a zero-knowledge bridge provides several key benefits to the Cardano ecosystem. A bridge between Cardano and other blockchains would make it much easier for value to flow in from external ecosystems, increasing the liquidity available within Cardano. A zero-knowledge bridge, specifically, offers important advantages over alternative architectures such as optimistic bridges. In a ZK bridge, a single user action accompanied by a succinct proof of deposit is sufficient to release tokens on the destination blockchain. This eliminates the need for community-wide monitoring or challenge periods, significantly reducing latency and trust assumptions. Additionally, by building a ZK bridge, Cardano positions itself as a more interoperable platform, capable of engaging with the broader ecosystem of zero-knowledge technologies. This lays the groundwork for future innovations in identity, privacy-preserving applications, and cross-chain collaboration.

The primary advantages of the TSC approach are:

--

1. Consistency. All work items will be evaluated according to the same criteria.

2. Transparency. All funded work will engage with and report consistently to the community.

3. Avoidance of technical gaps. Vendors can be sought for all necessary work items.

4. Proper Prioritisation. Work items can be prioritised in line with community needs, rather than vendor wishes.

5. Avoidance of duplication. Duplicate work items can be eliminated.

6. Complementarity. Where work items can benefit from each other, this can be identified.

7. Conflict resolution. Where work items conflict in scope, this can be resolved.

8. Coordination of Effort. Coordinated integration and rollout plans are necessary, e.g. for hard forks.

9. Flexibility of Delivery. Discovery tasks can be carried out where necessary, new work can be undertaken as it is needed, and unsuccessful work can be terminate

In this proposal, IOE and its collaborators outline key core Cardano platform developments aimed at substantially improving network scalability, security, performance, and usability, while enhancing developer support.

Implementation of these initiatives offers substantial benefits across the Cardano community, which collectively, enhance Cardano's technical foundations, enabling it to support a larger, more complex, and more active ecosystem:

• For the Ecosystem: Delivers massive L1 throughput increase (Leios), robust L2 scaling (Hydra, Mithril), and positions Cardano competitively in new areas like AVS (Minotaur). Enhances overall network security, resilience, and decentralization. Fosters supplier diversity through knowledge sharing and modular architecture (Acropolis). The ROI stems from increased network capacity, utility, and attractiveness, driving adoption and value.
• For End Users: Experience significantly reduced network congestion and faster transaction processing (Leios), near-instant finality for specific applications (Hydra), the convenience of paying fees with native tokens (Nested Transactions/Babel Fees), and potentially more predictable transaction inclusion (Tiered Pricing). Enhanced security measures build user trust.
• For Developers & dApp Builders: Gain access to advanced tools for building more secure and efficient smart contracts (Plutus High Assurance suite, Plutus Core enhancements). Benefit from a more extensible and accessible node architecture (Acropolis), easier integration with L2s and light clients (Hydra, Mithril), and improved transaction capabilities (Nested Transactions). This lowers development barriers and enables more sophisticated applications.
• For Stake Pool Operators (SPOs): Benefit from significantly reduced node operational costs (lower RAM requirements via Ledger-HD, LSM/UTXO-HD), enhanced operational security (KES Agent), improved network performance, potential new revenue streams (Minotaur AVS), and a potentially fairer incentive structure (Revised Scheme investigation). Mithril improvements speed up node synchronization.

Fuku AI’s on-chain agent and underpinning infrastructure promise to introduce lasting benefits for the Cardano ecosystem. The following points outline the anticipated impact and strategies for long-term, sustainable growth:

1. Higher User Adoption and Retention
   By lowering the entry threshold for dApp usage through natural language processing of user prompts, Fuku AI is positioned to attract new users and retain them. The agent’s intuitive interface and safety checks reduce the likelihood of failed transactions or confusion, creating a positive first impression.

2. Activation of Dormant Capital
   Cardano’s large volume of passively staked ADA can be partially funneled into more dynamic DeFi activities, once the friction is removed. Enhanced liquidity and usage of DeFi services, such as decentralized lending or yield farming, benefit the entire Cardano network.

3. Continuous Integration of Cardano Innovations
   As Cardano evolves (e.g., Hydra channels, sidechains like Midnight, new governance mechanisms), Fuku AI will remain aligned with ongoing developments, incorporating new transaction types and making them AI-accessible (e.g., Hydra-based instant swaps).

4. Collaboration and Community Involvement
   Fuku will seek partnerships with dApps, stake pool operators, and the broader developer community. This includes opening parts of the infrastructure for communal contributions, encouraging new plugin creations, and hosting hackathons for feature expansions.

5. Public-Facing API Access for Cardano Developers
   As explained in more detail below, Fuku’s in-house data infrastructure will be available for paid use by other Cardano developers and projects. Querying Cardano blockchain data will be made inexpensive and simple, encouraging onchain ecosystem growth.

If this proposal is implemented, the benefits to the Cardano community would be clear and impactful, especially for developers and, by extension, everyone who uses DApps on the network.

The Autonomous Agent Testing SDK (AAT SDK) would give DApp developers a powerful, user-friendly tool to test their applications in realistic, decentralized conditions - something they can’t easily do today. By using autonomous agents to mimic real-world usage, like how thousands of users might interact with a DApp or how it holds up under stress, developers can catch and fix bugs, slowdowns, and security weaknesses before they become problems.

This means DApps on Cardano will be more reliable, launch faster, and cost less to build because developers won’t have to spend as much time or money troubleshooting issues after release.

The SDK isn’t just a tool, it comes with clear documentation and tutorials, making it accessible to all Cardano developers, no matter their experience level. This empowers the entire developer community to bake robust testing into their workflow, raising the bar for DApp quality across the board.

For the broader Cardano ecosystem, this translates to better applications, a stronger network, and a clear return on investment: more efficient development and higher trust in the DApps we all rely on.

What will this proposal do, and who will it help?

This proposal is about keeping KuberIDE - a web-based tool for Cardano developers running strong and making it even better. KuberIDE lets developers create, check, and test Plutus smart contracts right in their browser, without needing to install complicated software. With this project, we’ll improve its speed, ability to grow, and ease of use, ensuring it stays valuable for the Cardano community.

How does this help the community?

Easier for Developers: It removes the hassle of setting up a workspace, so developers - especially beginners can jump in and start building faster.

*Quicker Testing and Ideas: * Developers can try out and test their Plutus smart contracts more quickly, speeding up the process of creating new apps for Cardano.

Great for Learning and Events: With no setup required, KuberIDE is perfect for teaching newbies or powering hackathons, helping more people get involved.

Keeps the Tool Reliable: We’ll make sure it stays up-to-date and works well as Cardano grows, so developers can count on it long-term.

Value to Cardano: This benefits new and current Plutus developers by saving them time and effort, which means more high-quality apps get built faster. It also welcomes more people into the Cardano community, through education and events - growing our network. The return on investment is a stronger, more active developer base, which makes Cardano more useful and attractive to everyone.

What will this proposal do, and who will it help?

If this proposal is funded and built, it will deliver a new tool - a test wallet paired with a private, single-computer test network that makes it easier and faster for developers to create and test decentralized apps (DApps) on Cardano.

Here’s how it benefits the community and why it’s worth the investment:

Faster Testing for Developers: Developers won’t need to wait for public test networks or free test funds (from “faucets”) anymore. This tool lets them test their DApps quickly on their own computers, saving time and effort.

Works with Automation Tools: The test wallet connects smoothly with tools like Playwright, which mimics how real users interact with apps online. This makes testing more realistic and efficient.

Better, More Reliable DApps: By testing locally (on their own systems), developers can catch and fix problems early, leading to higher-quality DApps that work well for Cardano users.

Free and Open for Everyone: This tool will be open-source - meaning it’s free for anyone in the Cardano community to use, improve, or adapt. It’s a gift to all developers, not just a few.

Value to the Cardano Community:

• For Developers: They’ll work faster, launch DApps sooner, and spend less time dealing with delays.
• For Users: Better-tested DApps mean fewer bugs and a smoother experience on Cardano.
• For the Ecosystem: More high-quality DApps will attract new people and projects, growing Cardano’s strength and reputation.

This proposal supports Cardano’s goal of being an easy-to-use, growing, and developer-friendly platform. It’s an investment in tools that lift up the whole community by making development quicker, simpler, and more reliable.

This initiative will drive significant value for the Cardano community by focusing on:

1. Increasing the number of VC and AI-ready projects on Cardano.

• Accelerate ~10 Cardano projects, ensuring they are AI- and VC-ready, through a 4-week, high-paced program with access to resources, mentorship, and networks for growth.
• Incubate 4-5 new high-potential projects built on Cardano, leveraging Antler's proven venture-building engine in selected locations and large pool of exceptional builders.

2. Enable potential VC funding and introductions for enterprise PoC to facilitate faster scaling and market adoption.
3. Generating new intersect members from the startup and VC communities, enriching the Cardano ecosystem with valuable expertise and connections.
4. Creating marketing/PR opportunities to boost Cardano’s visibility and credibility in the VC and AI sectors.
5. Developing an AI/VC playbook for Cardano companies that can be reused and continuously educate Cardano founders.

By anchoring Cardano’s 2025 Marketing Program in robust, iterative Research and Testing, we avoid the aforementioned pitfall of relying on opinions and anecdotal perspectives to drive a $13 million dollar Global Marketing Program.

Instead, each of the Marketing Workstreams will leverage Market/Audience Research and Testing methodologies with the same rigor and sophistication employed by leading brands across all industries and business models (B2B2C, B2B, B2C, D2C, etc.). Cardano’s marketing program should make programming and spending decisions across each workstream based on what has the (objectively) highest likelihood of achieving the intended business outcome(s).

This program also creates a robust set of shared truths across each of the workstreams. For example – Cardano has inevitable Target Audience overlap between Social Media and Events, or Public Relations and Community Management.

As such, alongside the Global Brand Strategy and Creative Campaign Workstream, we can share data-driven Audience, Messaging and Creative insights across all programs — rather than leaving each Workstream on its own to try and make evidence-based marketing decisions without the dedicated budget to do so.

Additionally, as SCRIB3 talks about often (and may be repetitive for those who’ve heard it before), the Web3 Industry has a lot of room to improve the emotional and psychological resonance of its Brands and Marketing Programs.

Said differently, the industry often over-indexes on communicating to their audiences’ Left Brain – consistently hammering the quality of their tech and logic-based arguments for caring about their project.

As we all know, humans are not rational decision makers. And the past 100+ years of marketing evidence tells us that making logic-based attempts to build Brand Evangelists is quite ineffective. We make decisions for all sorts of reasons – but decisions rooted in emotion over rational thought a vast majority of the time.

Cardano has a phenomenal opportunity in its 2025 Marketing Program to double-down on building psychological (and often subconscious) ties between its Brand and Target Audiences.

This opportunity starts with conducting world-class Audience Research/Testing – like Behavioral Research and Neurological Testing – to objectively determine the right emotional triggers worth pursuing in our Audiences and evaluating their physiological responses to our Creative and Messaging Materials. In its most sophisticated form – this means physical sensors like EEG Headsets, biometric devices like Galvanic Skin Response Sensors, Eye-Tracking Cameras and even Facial Coding Software – check out NielsenIQ.

To zoom out and close… The 2021 Gartner CMO Spend Survey estimated that organizations leveraging data and research-backed communications programs see as much as a 25% increase in ROMI compared to those guided primarily by instinct. Given the market Cardano operates in and the massive opportunity provided by the general lack of marketing sophistication across Web3, we expect that data-backed decisions will increase ROMI well beyond that.

1. Creating Rewards Pools that incentivize traditional businesses to on-board industry peers after they prove verifiable metrics like increases in ADA holders/Transaction Volume creates a low risk and sustainable way for the Cardano Treasury to fund adoption.

2. Different methods for funding projects that reduce the risk of waste through failure should be considered and incentivized. We are interested in piloting the following that are common in other grant programs: a/ Matching Grants (If a project proposer is willing to match a certain percentage of ADA funds with fiat that can go towards costs only payable in fiat, this can help reduce sell pressure on the ADA token), b/ Rewards Pools (If verifiable metrics including transaction volume or increased holders of ADA are reached, project proposers can be rewarded post success in a sustainable way, eliminating risk to the value of the Cardano Treasury).

3. The perception surrounding most cryptocurrency is quite negative. If approached by industry peers, traditional businesses will be far more open to the idea of exploring the Cardano ecosystem and looking for ways to leverage it for their benefit. This will diversify the Cardano Community, increase the demand for ADA, and help showcase the variety of use cases the blockchain can bring efficiencies to.

4. Traditional businesses can collaborate with peers already involved in the ecosystem to find efficiencies for their operations. This can include the manipulation/transfer of value through DeFi, the representation of value/property through tokenization, the storage of important data, and many other use cases. This will increase and/or diversify transaction volume on the blockchain.

5. Use selfdriven Foundation platforms to help educate traditional businesses using verifiable digital credentials that leverage the Cardano blockchain will help improve both the diversity of transactions on the blockchain as well as the volume, bringing us closer to a sustainable level of usage.

-- For a conversation overview see the Deep Dive Podcast link in the "Further information" section of this proposal.

Cardano cUSD introduces a yield-bearing stablecoin design, offers benefits across various segments of the Cardano community and provides demonstrable value to the ecosystem as a whole:

For ADA Holders & Stakers:

• Unlock Staked Liquidity: Mint cUSD against staked ADA without unstaking, boosting capital efficiency.
• Flexible Yield Control: Optimize risk/reward by directing staking yield towards debt reduction or separate accrual.
• Enhanced ADA Utility: Increases the incentive to hold and stake ADA.

For Cardano DeFi Users:

• Stable & Efficient Stablecoin: Access a decentralized, Cardano-native USD-pegged stablecoin (cUSD).
• Advanced DeFi Strategies: Enable leveraged staking, self-repaying positions, and new yield opportunities.

For Developers & Protocols:

• Open-Source & Composable: Provides a core, open-source, easily integrable stablecoin primitive.
• Fuel Ecosystem Innovation: Catalyzes synergy and the development of more sophisticated DeFi solutions on Cardano.

Overall Value & ROI for Cardano:

• Drive TVL & Network Activity: Increase Total Value Locked and on-chain transactions/fees.
• Boost Competitiveness: Position Cardano as a leader in innovative stablecoin design, attracting users and capital.

Strengthen Network Effects:

• Enhance the overall utility and value proposition of the Cardano blockchain.