- Cardano Foundation plans to commit over 50 million ADA to boost stablecoin liquidity and revive DeFi activity.
- The roadmap also includes $10 million for RWA tokenization and 220 million ADA for new governance representatives (DReps).
- Charles Hoskinson praised the move as a “good start” but pushed again for a community-elected board to finalize reforms.
The Cardano Foundation has rolled out the next stage of its roadmap, aiming to spark stronger adoption of the ADA ecosystem. In a Tuesday update, the team revealed a fresh set of initiatives, with one standout being a big commitment of ADA — in the eight-figure range — to fuel stablecoin liquidity.
Stablecoins at the Center of Cardano’s Next Phase
Stablecoins have become one of crypto’s busiest sectors, pulling in institutional money and clearer regulatory backing. The global stablecoin market is now valued at roughly $307 billion, but Cardano has struggled to make much of a dent. According to DeFiLlama, its stablecoin market cap sits at just $38.9 million — tiny compared to Ethereum, Solana, or even BNB Chain.
This lack of stablecoin depth has kept Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem from taking off. With total value locked around $324 million, ADA’s DeFi ranking remains near the bottom, trailing behind newer chains like Sui and Polygon. To fix this, the Foundation is pledging heavy ADA funding to back stablecoin projects and jumpstart liquidity. A governance proposal already in motion, dubbed the Stablecoin DeFi Liquidity Budget, looks to commit 50 million ADA (about $40.6 million) from treasury reserves to native stablecoin efforts.
Expanding Into Real-World Assets and Governance
But the plan doesn’t stop at stablecoins. The Foundation is also leaning into real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, earmarking more than $10 million to support launches through partnerships like MembersCap. The goal is to open Cardano’s doors wider to institutional adoption and practical on-chain finance.
On the governance side, the Foundation will allocate 220 million ADA to build out new delegated representatives (DReps) under the “Adoption and Operations” categories. It also plans to trim self-delegation down to 80 million ADA, which should reduce its sway over governance decisions. In addition, up to 2 million ADA will be pushed toward the Venture Hub by 2026 to fund adoption-focused initiatives.
Hoskinson’s Reaction and the Bigger Picture
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson welcomed the roadmap, calling it a “good start.” He repeated his call for a community-elected board, describing it as the final step needed to fully align the network with its ideals.
This also ties back to his earlier comments about negotiations to bring World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin onto Cardano. Hoskinson even floated the idea of spending $100 million in ADA treasury funds to scoop up native stablecoins — a bold move he said could supercharge Cardano’s DeFi landscape.
The Foundation’s latest roadmap shows a clear shift: tackling Cardano’s weak spots head-on, while betting big on stablecoins, tokenization, and stronger governance. Whether these moves are enough to lift Cardano closer to its rivals remains to be seen, but the pieces are starting to fall into place.
