Cardano Core Protocol Engineering Moves to BlockPQR

The engineers maintaining several of Cardano’s core protocol components are moving from IO Labs to BlockPQR. According to the official Input Output announcement, the same specialists will continue working on the existing codebase under a new organizational structure.

Input Output said the transition will not change node operations, application infrastructure or the process used to prepare Cardano upgrades for mainnet.

BlockPQR Takes On Core Cardano Engineering

BlockPQR will continue four connected workstreams: the ledger, blockchain indexer, formal methods and high availability.

The ledger defines how Cardano validates transactions and updates network state. Its development includes maintenance, bug fixes, release preparation and command-line tools used by stake pool operators and developers. These components determine whether every ADA transaction follows the network’s protocol rules.

The blockchain indexer converts on-chain data into information that wallets, explorers, decentralized applications and backend systems can query without independently processing the complete ledger.

Formal methods provide machine-checkable specifications for Cardano’s protocol rules, while high availability covers monitoring, incident response and infrastructure supporting continuous block production.

BlockPQR is a specialist protocol engineering team rather than a user-facing Cardano application. Its work will reach the ecosystem through node releases, indexing services, operator tooling and protocol upgrades used by wallets and decentralized applications.

Input Output and Intersect Retain Oversight

Input Output will remain primarily responsible for the initiatives and delivery milestones assigned to BlockPQR. Development plans will be agreed before work begins, code will remain available through public repositories and Intersect will review each milestone before approval.

Protocol upgrades will continue through the Intersect Hard Fork Working Group and established testing environments before reaching mainnet. BlockPQR engineers previously participated in this process during the van Rossem upgrade alongside Input Output, the Cardano Foundation, EMURGO, Midnight and Intersect.

The infrastructure covered by the arrangement supports stake pool operations, wallets, applications and governance transactions submitted by ADA holders and other constitutional governance participants.

BlockPQR was founded by Leonard Hegarty, formerly Input Output’s director of technical delivery for Cardano. Hegarty led core delivery around the Chang upgrade and infrastructure readiness for van Rossem. He also serves as director of blockchain at Midnight, where he leads technical work connected to mainnet and subsequent network releases.

Cardano Expands Its Specialist Development Model

The BlockPQR arrangement continues a broader reorganization of Cardano engineering during 2026.

Development responsibility for the Daedalus full-node wallet previously moved to Se7en Labs, while Mithril transferred to Teragone. Platform engineering, quality assurance, cryptography, and performance and tracing work also moved from IO Labs to ICAN Group with their existing teams and leadership.

BlockPQR’s scope extends into transaction validation, on-chain data access, protocol verification and network availability. These systems form part of the technical foundation used by stake pools, wallets, explorers, governance tools and decentralized applications across Cardano.

The first BlockPQR milestones will cover ongoing maintenance and a predictable upgrade schedule, followed by additional performance and scalability work. Delivery will be visible through Cardano’s public repositories, new node and ledger releases, and milestone decisions recorded through Intersect, providing operators and developers with a public record from planned work to accepted implementation.