Input Output Research | Momentum Cardano

The team behind the initiative

The opportunity

Input Output Research (IOR) provides the architectural foundation of Cardano, the first blockchain founded on peer-reviewed research. That distinction is not cosmetic. It is the reason Ouroboros has been adopted by multiple networks, the reason Cardano maintains 100% uptime, and the reason the platform can credibly pursue the 2030 Vision. In a market filled with vibe-based engineering, IOR provides evidence-based security and trust.

Sustaining that advantage requires sustained investment. Zero-knowledge proofs, post-quantum cryptography, sharding, formal verification of consensus: these are not features that can be delivered at the last minute. They require rigorous, first-principles inquiry. Research powers sustained ecosystem growth and impact and is one of the primary engines of growth, innovation, and value creation.

Research does more than create breakthroughs – it accelerates the innovation process itself. By maintaining a strong research foundation, Cardano can move faster when opportunities arise.

The Initiative

Input Output Research

Three strategic themes underpin this proposal: human-centred design, scalable architecture, and post-quantum security:

Human-centred design focuses on usability, incentives, and governance participation. This includes improving developer experience, strengthening economic alignment, and reducing friction for users and builders.
Scalability is addressed through a layered approach, combining consensus improvements (eg, Leios, Peras), execution scaling (eg, L2s, data availability), ZK-enabled scaling (eg, ZK rollups), and longer-term research (eg, sharding), delivering increased capacity without compromising decentralization.
Post-quantum security ensures long-term resilience as cryptographic assumptions evolve, with proactive evaluation and migration planning for quantum-resistant primitives.

The Cardano Vision 2026 proposal builds on this momentum and contains 15 programs organized into six clusters, each aligned to measurable ecosystem outcomes:

Trust, Security & Reliability Infrastructure: enterprise-grade resilience and continuous availability of the base layer
Scalability & Execution Layer: increased throughput and execution capacity across L1 and L2 while preserving settlement guarantees
Developer Platform & User Experience: reduced friction for builders and users, supporting adoption and MAU growth
Applications, Adoption, & Liquidity: increased on-chain demand, capital inflows, and real-world usage
Economic Systems & Incentives: aligned, sustainable economics across treasury, validators, and protocol revenue
Governance, Identity, & Social Infrastructure: robust coordination systems, decentralized governance, and identity primitives

CV26 builds on the success of CV25, which delivered 24 research outputs and eight technology validation outputs, exceeding programme targets by 20%.

Treasury ask: ₳32.9M.

Who is building

This initiative is facilitated by a consortium of nine research and development partners led by IOR, bringing together leading academic institutions, including University of Edinburgh, University of Oxford, Tokyo Institute of Science, and University of Buenos Aires, alongside ecosystem contributors, including Eryx.

"Over 250 peer-reviewed papers. 300 co-authorships. More than 10,000 citations. Around 50 publications directly underpinning Cardano's development eras. This is not speculative research. It is the scientific foundation the entire ecosystem stands on, and this proposal funds the next chapter."

Professor Aggelos Kiayias FRSEChief Scientist

“Cardano’s competitive advantage is its research-driven approach. By investing in human-centred design, scalability, and post-quantum security, we are building resilient infrastructure for the future — creating the scientific foundations needed to scale adoption while protecting the ecosystem for decades to come.”

Fergie MillerDirector of Research Partnerships

Expected outcomes

A structured research and innovation pipeline delivering 42 outputs that systematically translate foundational research into deployable capabilities and measurable ecosystem impact.
Five Cardano Improvement Proposals (CIPs) progressing to implementation readiness including in the strategic focus areas of identity services, ZK-enabled Layer 2 scalability, and post-quantum security.
Eight Cardano Problem Statements (CPSs) and 12 mid-TRL prototypes, including Leios/Peras integration designs, dynamic fee mechanisms, SPO incentive models, and a decentralized Babel Fees marketplace.
38 peer-reviewed papers and technical reports establishing the formal, scientific, and engineering foundations for protocol evolution.
Ecosystem communication, partner integration, and deployment enablement delivered through ongoing Cardano R&D Sessions and collaborative technical engagement.

Ecosystem Impact

IOR is the upstream source for nearly every major protocol advancement in Cardano's history. Ouroboros, Hydra, Babel Fees, Mithril, the EUTXO model: all originated in IOR's research program. This proposal funds the next generation of those breakthroughs.

The work directly supports the Cardano 2030 Strategy KPIs for scalability and interoperability, security and resilience, and incentivized, accessible governance through consensus and governance research. It also enables future progress across all other KPIs by providing the scientific foundations upon which engineering and product teams build.

Governance links

Formal treasury proposal

The on-chain submission, read the full proposal text and rationale.

View the formal proposal

Join the Conversation

Ask questions, share views, and follow the community debate.

X Spaces