Intersect Proposes Seven Domains for Cardano’s 2027 Budget

Intersect has proposed dividing Cardano’s 2027 treasury budget into seven funding domains, six of which would have organizations responsible for coordination. Developed with the Cardano Foundation and other ecosystem participants, the Cardano Ecosystem Budget Process would run for a one-year trial if approved by DReps.

Seven Domains for Cardano Treasury Funding

The proposal would divide the Net Change Limit, or NCL, across seven domains. The NCL sets the amount that may be withdrawn from Cardano’s treasury during a defined period.

Intersect would coordinate three domains: core development and maintenance, applied research, and governance coordination. PRAGMA would oversee developer support, covering open-source tools, libraries, documentation, and maintainer support. The Cardano Foundation is proposed as steward for marketing, analysis and events, as well as adoption and ecosystem growth.

The seventh domain, Open Contributions, would have no steward. Proposers could submit treasury withdrawal requests directly to delegated representatives, known as DReps, who vote using governance power delegated by ADA holders. Intersect reported that the proposed organizations had indicated their willingness to take on the roles, subject to community feedback.

How Stewards and DReps Would Share Responsibilities

Each steward would prepare a 2027 strategy linked to Cardano 2030 and propose a budget cap in U.S. dollars. Stewards would also establish how proposals are collected and assessed, support submissions where appropriate, and monitor delivery according to the funding arrangement.

The role would not automatically entitle a steward to funding from its domain. A steward could still seek funding if that interest is publicly declared and accompanied by suitable safeguards. The proposal also calls for a common code of conduct and collaboration on reporting standards.

DReps would retain decisions on annual objectives, domain allocations, and the proposed stewards, alongside their votes on individual treasury withdrawals. Intersect describes the process as a social agreement because the framework cannot be enforced directly on-chain. DReps supporting a domain would commit to withholding support from 2027 withdrawal requests that do not follow its agreed process.

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First Cardano Budget Vote Targeted for November

Intersect is targeting November 10 for the first info action, an on-chain governance action that would seek DRep support for the concept, domain definitions, and proposed stewards. The organization aims for at least 51% support at this stage. The first action would task stewards with developing detailed plans without yet committing DReps to the 2027 framework.

Further votes on stewarded domains and the 2027 NCL are planned for December 2026 or January 2027. Intersect considers at least 60% DRep support necessary for each domain’s mandate and identifies 51% as the target for the NCL.

The trial would be reviewed before a process for 2028 is developed. If a domain or its proposed steward does not receive approval, Intersect proposes that the NCL info action allocate the corresponding budget to Open Contributions.