Hoskinson Declares Cardano Roadmap Complete, Warns of Funding Challenges Ahead

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has announced that the original Cardano roadmap has been completed, marking a major milestone for the blockchain platform. According to Hoskinson, Input Output Global (IOG)—the development company behind Cardano—is now independently advancing projects like Hydra, a layer-2 scaling solution, and Leios, a major layer-1 upgrade. However, he cautioned that these developments are being done “at risk,” without guaranteed funding.

Hoskinson made it clear that if IOG doesn’t secure funding, it will wrap up its ongoing work and explore other opportunities. “We are currently doing all the Leios and Hydra work at risk, whether we get paid or not,” he stated during a recent AMA.

IOG originally received 2.4 billion ADA at Cardano’s genesis to support development. Some critics on social media have questioned the status of that funding and the project’s overall progress. In response, Hoskinson explained that the original contract expired in 2020.

The announcement comes amid ongoing debates within the Cardano community about treasury funding and governance. Hoskinson urged delegated representatives (dReps) to support the current budget proposal, warning that funding delays have already harmed ecosystem growth. He also addressed criticism tied to past project failures like Atala Prism, emphasizing that mistakes were made but also highlighting Cardano’s accomplishments.

Today, Cardano boasts a market capitalization of $25 billion, ranks among the top 10 cryptocurrencies, and supports thousands of decentralized applications (dApps). Despite internal tensions, Hoskinson reaffirmed his commitment to Cardano’s future, calling on the community to focus on progress rather than personal grievances. “This is what decentralization means,” he said, leaving the future of Cardano in the hands of its stakeholders.