Withdraw 11,787,063 ada for the OpenZeppelin Stack administered by Intersect

System1mo ago11 posts
Participation1010
Last activity12d ago
System1mo ago

On-chain governance action (Treasury Withdrawals).

This treasury withdrawal proposal requests funding for the design, implementation, security audit, and ecosystem adoption of a comprehensive open-source development stack for Cardano, delivered over an initial 12 months in quarterly milestones. The proposal bundles three tightly coupled workstreams into a single integrated engagement, led by the Reference Implementations and built around them:

  • OpenZeppelin Reference Implementations for Cardano: three production-ready, end-to-end blueprints targeting strategic DeFi and institutional use cases: a Cardano Liquid Staking Protocol, a Self-Repaying Loans Protocol, and a Tokenized Money Market Fund.
  • OpenZeppelin Contracts Library for Cardano: a secure, audited, standardized contracts library tailored for Cardano's eUTXO model and Plutus environment, including Contracts Wizard integration, AI development tools, and documentation.
  • Security Retainer: dedicated security capacity covering line-by-line audits of the library and full-stack security reviews and penetration testing of every Reference Implementation.

OpenZeppelin also commits to a Developer Enablement and Co-Marketing program, included at no additional cost, to drive ecosystem and institutional adoption of the libraries and Reference Implementations.

This proposal requests a total treasury withdrawal of 11,787,063 ada. The full budget breakdown and disbursement mechanics are set out in the Rationale.

  • Proposer return address: stake178y9ar3eq0kswrvf49vqs5ze7ls5mu0c9dydxlf4hksjaysxzux99
  • Deposit: 100,000 ₳
  • Submitted: epoch 654
  • Expires: epoch 661

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ADAtainmentDRepVoted No1mo ago(edited)

I wonder how does this proposal align with IOs ongoing Developer Experience initiative, which already includes an OpenZeppelin-style Cardano contracts library? Could you clarify which existing components would be reused, how responsibilities would be divided, and how you would avoid funding overlapping work or creating competing standards?

Edit: there was a governance hour today with a deep dive into OpenZeppelin Proposal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4jh8D2LN5U

Cite
TriangleForcesDRepVoted NORationale1mo ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 1mo ago.

The problem of fragmented contract patterns, a lack of reusable eUTXO components, and poorly documented paths for institutional DeFi is one I fully grasp and support. Because having open-source reference code and security know-how could cut down on redundant work and boost developers’ assurance in this field. So, without a doubt, the strategic direction is relevant.

Looking at the value proposition, though I think it’s substantially weaker than the headline suggests. As far as I know, Cardano already has active contract frameworks. It also has audited application code, ecosystem standards, developer tooling, and on top of that various teams working on interoperability, governance, credentials, and DeFi infrastructure. I’m not an expert here, but even more so, I’d expect a proposal asking for no less than 12M ADA to establish and show beyond a reason of doubt through a rigorous gap analysis what existing repositories cannot provide, how OpenZeppelin’s output will be technically superior, or why all three proposed financial products should be bundled into one treasury-funded engagement… when I and so many other DReps have publicly and on social media for more than a year now opposed the bundling of divergent work packages time and again.

We’re talking about almost 2M USD here, and I for one think, that it’s quite an ask that requires more detailed budget evidence, rate cards, subcontractor assumptions, and independently validated scope. That’s best business practice. I’ve operated under these conditions for more than three decades, and I’m shocked each time how laissez-faire this grant tourism in the Cardano ecosystem is.

I would prefer, and indeed can only approve if I do my DRep job properly, a smaller, independently scoped discovery grant followed by competitive, separately approved workstreams.

Musa Ridwan ItopaDRepVoted NORationale1mo ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 1mo ago.

Voting NO on Withdraw 11,787,063 ada for the OpenZeppelin Stack administered by Intersect.As an elected Cardano Civics Committee member, Unified Cardano Student Club President in Nigeria, and a DRep focused on transparent, sustainable treasury use, I respect the services OpenZeppelin wants to offer. Audited libraries, reference implementations, and developer enablement would be valuable for builders and real-world adoption, including in emerging markets.That said, I cannot support this withdrawal. ₳11.79 million is too high given the current state of the treasury. Cardano’s treasury has been under heavy demand, and I believe it needs time to recover rather than taking on another large spend right now even for good work.I remain open to a leaner, more tightly scoped version later. For now, fiscal discipline comes first.

AYOMIDRepVoted NORationale1mo ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 1mo ago.

I genuinely see the value in strengthening Cardano’s developer infrastructure, and I appreciate the work OpenZeppelin has done in the broader blockchain ecosystem.

However, as a DRep, I have to look beyond the reputation of the organization and ask whether the treasury is getting sufficient value for the amount being requested.

11,787,063 $ADA is a significant amount of treasury funds. My concern is not that the proposed work has no value, but that the request feels very large.

My position is not a rejection of OpenZeppelin or the opportunity itself. It is a call for how we commit treasury funds.

At this stage, I am leaning toward voting No.

As DReps, we have a responsibility to support valuable initiatives while also being careful stewards of the community’s treasury.

CardanoLeoDRepVoted NORationale1mo ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 1mo ago.

Vote: NO

I support OpenZeppelin coming into Cardano. A reusable, audited contracts library would raise the baseline quality of what gets shipped here, and the trust OpenZeppelin already has with EVM developers is not something Cardano can create on its own. I am voting against this proposal, not against the firm, and not against the work itself.


1. Overlap with work already funded

The treasury is not choosing between two sketches. IO’s Developer Experience Initiative (₳3,601,926) was enacted on May 29, 2026. The Q3 2026 deliverable is explicit: a ContractsLibrary "inspired by OpenZeppelin’s role in the EVM ecosystem," with at least five ready-to-audit contracts. The public repo (input-output-hk/contracts-library) says the same thing.

  • About 3.6 million ada is already committed to an OpenZeppelin-style library.
  • This proposal asks for another 11,787,063 ada for a second library of similar scope.

The text mentions working with IO, but it does not publish a gap analysis, nor does it specify which library teams should treat as the standard. Q3 2026 is when the first library is due. The sensible order is to evaluate what that grant actually delivered, then decide whether a second library is worth buying. Until those questions are answered, this is not complementary work so much as the risk of paying twice.


2. The smart contract language is still unset

Workstream B states that the specific smart contract language will be decided during the initial evaluation phase. For a contracts library, that choice is close to the core product itself — it determines who can import the code and whether it fits the toolchain teams are actively using.

The proposal requests USD $1,831,000 upfront while leaving the language selection until after funding is secured. With the language unset, there is no reliable way to assess whether the library will align with what developers are actually building.


3. Surplus from the stablecoin conversion is not addressed

The budget uses USD $0.16 per ada as a reference rate. The full delivery amount of 11,443,750 ada converts at contract signature, rather than converting only the necessary amount to reach USD $1,831,000. At a recent spot price near USD $0.196, that conversion yields approximately USD $2.24 million — roughly USD $410,000 (22%) above the stated delivery budget.

A conservative reference rate is reasonable, but converting the entire ada amount regardless of spot price is a distinct financial choice that the proposal fails to explain. It specifies only two mechanics:

  1. The full delivery amount converts at signature.
  2. Unused funds sweep back to the treasury at expiry.

Sweep simply means the smart contract returns remaining funds when the term ends — it is not an immediate swap or return mechanism. What happens to the surplus generated at conversion (returned immediately, retained in the contract, or made accessible to the vendor) is completely unwritten. Until this gap is closed, the treasury is being asked to approve an over-provision with no formal rule governing the extra capital.


4. The security retainer is a vendor self-review

Workstream C is scoped exclusively to OpenZeppelin-produced code. Audit costs sit within overhead, pointing to Intersect’s administration fee as oversight. However, Intersect handles disbursement and milestone verification — not an independent technical review of the contracts. This withdrawal sets aside no dedicated capital for a third-party code audit.

Note: This point does not rest on Article II.7.4 (which governs periodic financial/fund-use audits). My view is distinct: for a USD $1.83 million library intended for ecosystem-wide adoption, vendor self-review is insufficient. Independent technical audits should be scoped and funded separately, rather than folded into the vendor's internal security retainer.


Conclusion & Next Steps

OpenZeppelin has explicitly stated that if this proposal does not pass, they will gather community feedback and submit a revised version. A NO vote is therefore inexpensive — it requests a clearer scope and a tighter financial/technical structure without asking OpenZeppelin to leave Cardano.

I welcome a revised submission. At a minimum, a revised text should:

  • Spell out the division of scope with the already-funded IO ContractsLibrary, specifying which standard teams should adopt.
  • Finalize the smart contract language prior to requesting funds.
  • Convert only the ada required at spot rates upon milestone release, returning any conversion surplus immediately.
  • Fund an independent third-party technical audit separately from the vendor's internal security review.
  • Stage the three workstreams sequentially rather than bundling them into a single all-or-nothing engagement.
ADAtainmentDRepVoted NORationale1mo ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 1mo ago.

OpenZeppelin gets many things right and its strong brand and developer reach could benefit Cardano. My main concern is the unclear distinction from the existing IOG Contracts Library that was recently funded.

I would like a clearer explanation of which additional gaps this work fills and how duplication will be avoided. Thank you for approaching this discussion with such an open mind.

Chris CataDRepVoted NORationale27d ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 27d ago.

Voting NO. I would like to see this resubmitted with a narrow scope.

This proposal has aspects that help address gaps identified in Cardano's ecosystem. A recent ecosystem audit points to specific things addressed here in OpenZeppelin's proposal. However, after review, there is some overlap with past ratified proposals with committed spend. It may be worth OpenZepplin having that discussion the Alpha Growth team on what to resubmit to close up the remaining gaps that IO did not cover in their own already passed proposal.

As is, we would be paying ~$1.8M for a bundle whose first workstream is named the same thing as an already funded IO workstream.

Suggestion - Resubmit a more focused, follow-up proposal to IOs - Pay OpenZeppelin to ship a liquid-staked ADA receipt other apps will take as collateral, a shared vault plug those apps can reuse, one live tokenized money-market product with a named issuer, and an audit of the IO contract library already funded.

Alpha Ecosystem Audit:
https://blue-careful-catshark-349.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/bafybeibw2hkvqy7bjb3j2rvirhexgf42prquwm4ci4qpcjk2zox7n3axpa

IO DevEx Proposal:
https://adastat.net/governances/73e171a4c0730b4b59ecae271ab89f12a9d56360b02920e1f95107dbdc1d676200

Agora | Cardano (by Rodrigo Pacini)DRepVoted NORationale14d ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 14d ago.

Governance Action Review [EN]

Governance Action: Withdraw 11,787,063 ADA for the OpenZeppelin Stack administered by Intersect

Type: Treasury Withdrawal

Requested Amount: ₳11,787,063

Vote: NO

1. Introduction

This Governance Action requests ₳11,787,063 from the Cardano Treasury to fund a 12-month development program led by OpenZeppelin, with Intersect serving as administrator. The delivery budget is US$1,831,000, with an additional 3% administration fee.

The initiative combines three workstreams: the development of three open-source reference implementations for liquid staking, self-repaying loans, and tokenized money market funds; a standardized smart contract library for Cardano, including developer tools and documentation; and dedicated security auditing and testing.

The project also includes developer education, technical workshops, and ecosystem adoption activities at no additional cost.

Execution is divided into four quarterly milestones, with acceptance criteria covering functional demonstrations, code coverage, security audits, and public documentation. A 20% upfront payment is followed by four milestone payments, subject to verification by Intersect Delivery Assurance.

The objective is to provide reusable, secure development infrastructure that supports DeFi applications, institutional adoption, and developer activity within the Cardano ecosystem.

2. Governance Action Analysis

Positive aspects

OpenZeppelin has a relevant and established professional track record in the blockchain industry. Its experience developing smart contract libraries, developer tools, and security services across different ecosystems is a positive aspect of the proposal. The organization has an extensive portfolio and more than a decade of accumulated experience, which deserves recognition when evaluating its execution capabilities.

The proposal also presents positive aspects regarding delivery monitoring mechanisms. The milestones include objective acceptance criteria, test coverage requirements, security audits, open-source code publication, and verification mechanisms before payments are released. These controls represent good Quality Assurance (QA) practices and contribute to transparency and accountability in contractual execution.

Negative aspects

2.1. Lack of robust adoption and impact KPIs

Although the proposal presents relatively objective technical criteria, its indicators focus primarily on verifying execution and the quality of the developed products. These requirements are positive and necessary, but insufficient to evaluate the investment's success from the perspective of the Cardano ecosystem.

There is a fundamental distinction between demonstrating that a library has been developed, tested, and audited, and demonstrating that it has actually been adopted by developers, used by protocols, and generated measurable benefits for the ecosystem.

The proposal establishes targets for test coverage, application functionality in test environments, and publication of security reports. However, it does not present robust quantitative targets for library adoption, integration with existing applications, use by independent developers, growth in economic activity, or reduction in development costs.

The requirement to obtain documented feedback from at least one independent Cardano developer is particularly limited given an investment of approximately US$1.83 million and the stated ambition to establish reference infrastructure for the entire ecosystem.

This deficiency becomes even more relevant considering the existence of Cardano Vision 2030, which already provides an initial strategic framework with indicators for adoption, utilization, and sustainability. Its main KPIs include Total Value Locked (TVL), monthly transactions, and monthly active users. The framework also recognizes the need for secondary indicators that connect specific investments to expected strategic outcomes.

OpenZeppelin could have used this framework as a reference to establish targets proportional to the initiative's scope, including indicators for tool adoption, completed integrations, and contributions to ecosystem growth.

It would not be necessary to require a development library to immediately produce substantial economic results. However, establishing verifiable adoption targets, intermediate impact indicators, and a mechanism for monitoring outcomes after funding completion would be reasonable.

Without these elements, the accountability mechanisms can verify whether the contracted products were delivered, but do not provide sufficiently robust criteria to determine whether the investment generated the benefits used to justify it.

The absence of adequate adoption and impact KPIs is, independently, sufficient grounds for rejecting the proposal.

2.2. Insufficient budget granularity

The second fundamental deficiency lies in the proposed budget structure.

The proposal requests US$1,831,000 for execution over 12 months, distributed across five equal installments of US$366,200, corresponding to an initial payment and four quarterly milestones.

Although the disbursement schedule is clearly defined, the documentation does not provide a satisfactory breakdown of execution costs.

The number of professionals involved, their roles, individual responsibilities, compensation, hourly rates, and estimated time commitments are not specified. There is also no detailed allocation of resources among the three main workstreams, the reference implementations, the library components, and the security activities.

Even the 22 researcher-weeks allocated to security audits and assessments lack itemized costs that would allow their proportionality relative to the total budget to be verified.

The uniform distribution of payments across milestones with different deliverables provides financial predictability but does not demonstrate how the amounts were calculated. It is essentially a payment schedule, not a detailed justification of project costs.

This lack of granularity directly compromises the ability to evaluate the initiative's cost-effectiveness.

It is not possible to determine whether the proposed costs are competitive, whether resources are efficiently allocated, whether certain activities have disproportionate costs, or whether more economical alternatives could produce similar results.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that some relevant technical decisions, including the library's development language, remain undefined until execution begins.

Approval of a budget of this magnitude should not depend predominantly on the vendor's reputation or presumed ability to manage resources. Responsible Treasury management requires sufficient information for representatives to evaluate the economic reasonableness of costs before authorizing withdrawal.

Milestone verification and disbursement control mechanisms are positive aspects, but they do not replace the need for transparency in the budget's composition.

The budget granularity is insufficient for a responsible cost-benefit evaluation and constitutes, independently of the other issues, sufficient grounds for a NO vote.

2.3. Resource prioritization, existing investments, and proposal timing

Beyond the deficiencies related to KPIs and budgeting, there is a broader concern regarding the distribution of Treasury resources among the ecosystem's strategic priorities.

Cardano has already approved substantial investments aimed at expanding adoption, developing financial applications, and strengthening the DeFi ecosystem.

These include the Cardano x Draper Dragon: Orion Fund, whose first withdrawal of ₳50 million was approved in April 2026. The initiative establishes an investment structure for startups, growth capital, and acceleration programs, aiming to stimulate new businesses and expand Cardano utilization. Although not exclusively focused on DeFi, the fund provides a financing instrument that may partially address demand for developing new applications and products.

Subsequently, the Cardano PRIME Governance Action by AlphaGrowth was also approved, with a withdrawal of ₳120 million for a 12-month program focused on strengthening the DeFi ecosystem. Its scope includes protocol readiness, liquidity incentives, ecosystem development support, and expansion of economic activity in decentralized markets.

Together, these two initiatives represent ₳170 million in approved withdrawals, despite having different operational models and objectives.

Other investments in infrastructure and development related to adoption also exist, including commercial integration initiatives and developer tools.

This does not mean that all these programs perform the same activities proposed by OpenZeppelin. However, substantial existing investments in these areas change the economic and strategic context in which new funding requests must be evaluated.

An additional proposal should demonstrate particularly clearly which needs remain unmet, why previously committed resources are insufficient to address them, and which incremental benefits would justify another withdrawal.

There is also a specific concern regarding the development of reusable smart contract libraries. Input Output's Developer Experience initiative already includes work in this direction, creating a potential area of overlap that requires further clarification.

OpenZeppelin's proposal anticipates collaboration with existing organizations and developers but does not present a sufficiently detailed examination of already funded initiatives, available capabilities, or activities that could be shared.

In an environment of limited resources and competing priorities, this lack of coordination represents a relevant concern.

Cardano Vision 2030 establishes five strategic pillars: Infrastructure & Research Excellence, Adoption & Utility, Governance, Community & Ecosystem Growth, and Ecosystem Sustainability & Resilience.

Considering the substantial investments already approved for adoption and DeFi initiatives, there is concern about the concentration of resources in these activities while other strategic priorities continue to require attention and funding.

Investment concentration should not be evaluated solely by the number of proposals, but primarily by the amounts committed, the objectives addressed, and the needs that remain uncovered.

The existence of large-scale initiatives under Pillar 2 reinforces the importance of carefully examining the opportunity cost of additional withdrawals, especially when their expected outcomes are not accompanied by robust impact targets and detailed economic justifications.

This position is consistent with previously recorded votes against the Orion Fund and AlphaGrowth proposals. Community approval of these initiatives does not eliminate the concerns originally identified, but establishes financial commitments that must be considered in subsequent decisions.

Given the amount of resources already allocated to adoption and DeFi development, there is no sufficiently convincing justification for approving another withdrawal of this magnitude under the conditions presented.

Risks and concerns

2.4. OpenZeppelin's experience and Cardano-specific expertise

OpenZeppelin's professional experience is an important strength, but it does not eliminate the need to evaluate its familiarity with the technical particularities of the Cardano ecosystem.

The organization has documented experience across several blockchain environments, including developing libraries for Midnight using the Compact language. This experience is relevant because it involves a UTXO-based architecture, but it is not directly equivalent to experience developing and auditing applications within Cardano's eUTXO architecture.

The proposal itself acknowledges that the smart contract language to be used for Cardano will only be determined during execution. It also does not identify a technical team by name with proven experience developing Cardano contracts, including its specific frameworks and tools.

This does not demonstrate technical incapacity on OpenZeppelin's part, but represents a relevant uncertainty for a project intended to establish standardized libraries and widely reused security components.

Cardano already has organizations and developers specialized in its technological environment, including teams with direct experience developing, maintaining, and auditing eUTXO applications.

Contracting an external organization can bring knowledge, reputation, and new capabilities to the ecosystem. However, this advantage needs to be demonstrated against available alternatives, particularly when internally developed initiatives have already received funding and resources are limited.

In this context, there is a preference for valuing technical capabilities developed within the ecosystem itself, particularly when they have a verifiable delivery track record and specialized knowledge of Cardano infrastructure.

This preference does not constitute a rejection of external companies. Rather, relevant experience in other blockchains, however extensive, does not automatically substitute for Cardano-specific knowledge.

Therefore, OpenZeppelin's international reputation deserves recognition but is not sufficient justification for dispensing with evidence of specific technical capabilities, integration with existing initiatives, and economic competitiveness.

3. Vote and Rationale

Vote: NO

The decision against the proposal does not stem from a negative evaluation of OpenZeppelin's reputation or professional capabilities. The organization has a relevant track record, a technically ambitious proposal, and Quality Assurance and disbursement control mechanisms that deserve recognition.

However, the proposal presents fundamental deficiencies in accountability and economic justification.

The absence of robust adoption and impact KPIs prevents an adequate evaluation of the expected ecosystem outcomes. Insufficient budget granularity makes a responsible assessment of cost proportionality impossible. Furthermore, the request comes at a time when substantial resources have already been committed to initiatives related to adoption and DeFi development, without sufficiently convincing evidence of the incremental need for this investment.

Each of these three grounds would independently justify rejection. Their combination makes the NO vote particularly well-founded.

OpenZeppelin's experience in other ecosystems is positive but does not eliminate uncertainties concerning Cardano-specific technical expertise, coordination with existing projects, and available alternatives.

The decision also maintains consistency with previous positions against large resource allocations lacking economic justification, impact targets, and accountability mechanisms proportional to the requested investment.

4. Conclusion

The issue is not necessarily the initiative's purpose, but its timing, conditions, and insufficient evidence to justify another significant Treasury withdrawal.

Approval of an investment of this magnitude requires demonstrating efficient resource allocation, objectively measurable benefits, and a justifiable priority relative to other ecosystem needs.

These conditions have not been sufficiently met.

Final Decision: NO.

Revisão de Ação de Governança [PT]

Ação de Governança: Retirada de 11.787.063 ADA para o OpenZeppelin Stack administrado pela Intersect

Tipo: Retirada do Tesouro

Valor solicitado: ₳11.787.063

Voto: NÃO

1. Introdução

Esta Governance Action solicita ₳11.787.063 do Tesouro de Cardano para financiar um programa de desenvolvimento de 12 meses liderado pela OpenZeppelin, com a Intersect atuando como administradora. O orçamento de execução é de US$1.831.000, acrescido de uma taxa administrativa de 3%.

A iniciativa reúne três frentes de trabalho: o desenvolvimento de três implementações de referência open-source para liquid staking, empréstimos autoliquidáveis e fundos de mercado monetário tokenizados; uma biblioteca padronizada de smart contracts para Cardano, incluindo ferramentas para desenvolvedores e documentação; e serviços dedicados de auditoria e testes de segurança.

O projeto também inclui atividades de capacitação de desenvolvedores, workshops técnicos e promoção da adoção no ecossistema, sem custos adicionais.

A execução está dividida em quatro milestones trimestrais, com critérios de aceitação que abrangem demonstrações funcionais, cobertura de testes, auditorias de segurança e documentação pública. Um pagamento inicial de 20% será seguido por quatro pagamentos vinculados aos milestones, sujeitos à verificação da Intersect Delivery Assurance.

O objetivo é disponibilizar infraestrutura de desenvolvimento reutilizável e segura, apoiando aplicações DeFi, adoção institucional e atividades de desenvolvedores no ecossistema Cardano.

2. Análise da Governance Action

Aspectos positivos

A OpenZeppelin possui um histórico profissional relevante e consolidado na indústria blockchain. Sua experiência no desenvolvimento de bibliotecas de smart contracts, ferramentas para desenvolvedores e serviços de segurança em diferentes ecossistemas constitui um ponto positivo da proposta. A organização apresenta um portfólio expressivo e experiência acumulada ao longo de mais de uma década, fatores que merecem reconhecimento na avaliação de sua capacidade de execução.

A proposta também apresenta aspectos positivos relacionados aos mecanismos de acompanhamento das entregas. Os milestones incluem critérios objetivos de aceitação, requisitos de cobertura de testes, auditorias de segurança, publicação de código open-source e mecanismos de verificação anteriores à liberação dos pagamentos. Esses controles representam boas práticas de Quality Assurance (QA) e contribuem para a transparência e a accountability da execução contratual.

Aspectos negativos

2.1. Ausência de KPIs robustos de adoção e impacto

Embora a proposta apresente critérios técnicos relativamente objetivos, seus indicadores estão concentrados na verificação da execução e da qualidade dos produtos desenvolvidos. Esses requisitos são positivos e necessários, mas insuficientes para avaliar o sucesso do investimento sob a perspectiva do ecossistema Cardano.

Existe uma distinção fundamental entre comprovar que uma biblioteca foi desenvolvida, testada e auditada e demonstrar que ela foi efetivamente adotada por desenvolvedores, utilizada por protocolos e responsável por gerar benefícios mensuráveis ao ecossistema.

A proposta estabelece metas de cobertura de testes, funcionamento de aplicações em ambientes de teste e publicação de relatórios de segurança. Entretanto, não apresenta metas quantitativas robustas para adoção das bibliotecas, integração com aplicações existentes, utilização por desenvolvedores independentes, crescimento da atividade econômica ou redução dos custos de desenvolvimento.

O requisito de obter feedback documentado de pelo menos um desenvolvedor Cardano independente é particularmente limitado diante de um investimento de aproximadamente US$1,83 milhão e da ambição declarada de estabelecer uma infraestrutura de referência para todo o ecossistema.

Essa deficiência torna-se ainda mais relevante considerando a existência do Cardano Vision 2030, que já oferece um framework estratégico inicial com indicadores de adoção, utilização e sustentabilidade. Entre os principais KPIs estão Total Value Locked (TVL), transações mensais e usuários ativos mensais. O framework também reconhece a necessidade de indicadores secundários que permitam relacionar investimentos específicos aos resultados estratégicos esperados.

A OpenZeppelin poderia ter utilizado esse framework como referência para estabelecer metas proporcionais ao escopo da iniciativa, incluindo indicadores de adoção de ferramentas, integrações realizadas e contribuição para o crescimento do ecossistema.

Não seria necessário exigir que uma biblioteca de desenvolvimento produzisse imediatamente resultados econômicos expressivos. Entretanto, seria razoável estabelecer metas de adoção verificáveis, indicadores intermediários de impacto e um mecanismo de acompanhamento dos resultados após a conclusão do financiamento.

Sem esses elementos, os mecanismos de accountability permitem verificar se os produtos contratados foram entregues, mas não oferecem critérios suficientemente robustos para determinar se o investimento gerou os benefícios utilizados para justificá-lo.

A ausência de KPIs adequados de adoção e impacto constitui, isoladamente, motivo suficiente para rejeitar a proposta.

2.2. Granularidade orçamentária insuficiente

A segunda deficiência fundamental está na estrutura orçamentária apresentada.

A proposta solicita US$1.831.000 para execução ao longo de 12 meses, distribuídos em cinco parcelas iguais de US$366.200, correspondentes a um pagamento inicial e quatro milestones trimestrais.

Embora o cronograma de desembolsos esteja claramente definido, a documentação não apresenta uma discriminação satisfatória dos custos necessários à execução.

Não são especificados o número de profissionais envolvidos, suas funções, responsabilidades individuais, remunerações, taxas horárias ou estimativas de dedicação. Também não existe uma distribuição detalhada dos recursos entre as três frentes principais de trabalho, as aplicações de referência, os componentes das bibliotecas e as atividades de segurança.

Mesmo as 22 semanas-pesquisador previstas para auditorias e avaliações de segurança não possuem custos individualizados que permitam verificar sua proporcionalidade em relação ao orçamento total.

A distribuição uniforme dos pagamentos entre milestones com entregas diferentes oferece previsibilidade financeira, mas não demonstra como os valores foram calculados. Trata-se essencialmente de um cronograma de pagamentos, não de uma justificativa detalhada dos custos do projeto.

Essa falta de granularidade compromete diretamente a capacidade de avaliar a relação custo-benefício da iniciativa.

Não é possível determinar se os custos propostos são competitivos, se existe uma alocação eficiente dos recursos, se determinadas atividades apresentam custos desproporcionais ou se alternativas mais econômicas poderiam produzir resultados semelhantes.

A situação é agravada pelo fato de algumas decisões técnicas relevantes, incluindo a linguagem de desenvolvimento da biblioteca, permanecerem indefinidas até o início da execução.

A aprovação de um orçamento dessa magnitude não deveria depender predominantemente da reputação do fornecedor ou de sua capacidade presumida de administrar os recursos. A responsabilidade na gestão do Tesouro exige informações suficientes para que os representantes possam avaliar a razoabilidade econômica dos custos antes de autorizar sua retirada.

Os mecanismos de verificação dos milestones e de controle dos desembolsos representam aspectos positivos, mas não substituem a necessidade de transparência na composição do orçamento.

A granularidade orçamentária apresentada é insuficiente para uma avaliação responsável de custo-benefício e constitui, independentemente das demais questões, motivo suficiente para um voto NO.

2.3. Priorização de recursos, investimentos existentes e momento da proposta

Além das deficiências relacionadas aos KPIs e ao orçamento, existe uma preocupação mais ampla com a distribuição dos recursos do Tesouro entre as prioridades estratégicas do ecossistema.

Cardano já aprovou investimentos expressivos direcionados à expansão da adoção, ao desenvolvimento de aplicações financeiras e ao fortalecimento do ecossistema DeFi.

Entre eles está o Cardano x Draper Dragon: Orion Fund, cuja primeira retirada de ₳50 milhões foi aprovada em abril de 2026. A iniciativa estabelece uma estrutura de investimentos em startups, capital de crescimento e programas de aceleração, com o objetivo de estimular novos negócios e ampliar a utilização de Cardano. Embora não seja exclusivamente direcionado ao setor DeFi, o fundo oferece um instrumento de financiamento que pode atender parcialmente à demanda por desenvolvimento de novas aplicações e produtos.

Posteriormente, também foi aprovada a Governance Action do Cardano PRIME, da AlphaGrowth, com uma retirada de ₳120 milhões para um programa de 12 meses voltado ao fortalecimento do ecossistema DeFi. Seu escopo inclui preparação de protocolos, incentivos de liquidez, apoio ao desenvolvimento do ecossistema e expansão da atividade econômica em mercados descentralizados.

Essas duas iniciativas representam, conjuntamente, ₳170 milhões em retiradas aprovadas, ainda que possuam modelos operacionais e objetivos distintos.

Também existem outros investimentos em infraestrutura e desenvolvimento relacionados à adoção, incluindo iniciativas de integrações comerciais e ferramentas para desenvolvedores.

Isso não significa que todos esses programas executem as mesmas atividades propostas pela OpenZeppelin. Entretanto, a existência de investimentos expressivos nessas áreas altera o contexto econômico e estratégico no qual novas solicitações devem ser avaliadas.

Uma proposta adicional deveria demonstrar de maneira particularmente clara quais necessidades permanecem descobertas, por que os recursos já comprometidos não são suficientes para atendê-las e quais benefícios incrementais justificariam outra retirada.

Há ainda uma preocupação específica com o desenvolvimento de bibliotecas reutilizáveis de smart contracts. A iniciativa Developer Experience da Input Output já contempla trabalho nessa direção, criando um possível ponto de sobreposição que exige maior esclarecimento.

A proposta da OpenZeppelin prevê colaboração com organizações e desenvolvedores existentes, mas não apresenta uma análise suficientemente detalhada das iniciativas já financiadas, das capacidades disponíveis ou das atividades que poderiam ser compartilhadas.

Em um ambiente de recursos limitados e concorrência entre diferentes prioridades, essa ausência de coordenação representa uma preocupação relevante.

O Cardano Vision 2030 estabelece cinco pilares estratégicos: Infrastructure & Research Excellence, Adoption & Utility, Governance, Community & Ecosystem Growth e Ecosystem Sustainability & Resilience.

Considerando os investimentos expressivos já aprovados em iniciativas de adoção e DeFi, existe uma preocupação com a concentração de recursos nessas atividades, enquanto outras prioridades estratégicas continuam demandando atenção e financiamento.

A concentração de investimentos não deve ser avaliada apenas pela quantidade de propostas, mas principalmente pelos valores comprometidos, pelos objetivos atendidos e pelas necessidades que permanecem sem cobertura.

A existência de iniciativas de grande porte no Pilar 2 reforça a importância de examinar cuidadosamente o custo de oportunidade de novas retiradas, especialmente quando seus resultados esperados não estão acompanhados de metas robustas de impacto e justificativas econômicas detalhadas.

Essa posição é coerente com os votos anteriormente registrados contra as propostas Orion Fund e AlphaGrowth. A aprovação dessas iniciativas pela comunidade não elimina as preocupações originalmente identificadas, mas estabelece compromissos financeiros que precisam ser considerados nas decisões subsequentes.

Diante da quantidade de recursos já destinada à adoção e ao desenvolvimento de DeFi, não existe justificativa suficientemente convincente para aprovar outra retirada dessa magnitude nas condições apresentadas.

Riscos e preocupações

2.4. Experiência da OpenZeppelin e conhecimento específico de Cardano

A experiência profissional da OpenZeppelin constitui um mérito importante, mas não elimina a necessidade de avaliar sua familiaridade com as particularidades técnicas do ecossistema Cardano.

A organização possui experiência documentada em diversos ambientes blockchain, incluindo o desenvolvimento de bibliotecas para Midnight utilizando a linguagem Compact. Essa experiência é relevante por envolver uma arquitetura baseada em UTXO, mas não equivale diretamente à experiência de desenvolvimento e auditoria de aplicações na arquitetura eUTXO de Cardano.

A própria proposta reconhece que a linguagem de smart contracts a ser utilizada em Cardano ainda será definida durante a execução. Também não apresenta uma equipe técnica nominalmente identificada com experiência comprovada em desenvolvimento de contratos Cardano, incluindo seus frameworks e ferramentas específicas.

Isso não demonstra incapacidade técnica da OpenZeppelin, mas representa uma incerteza relevante para um projeto que pretende estabelecer bibliotecas padronizadas e componentes de segurança amplamente reutilizados.

Cardano já possui organizações e desenvolvedores especializados em seu ambiente tecnológico, incluindo equipes com experiência direta no desenvolvimento, na manutenção e na auditoria de aplicações eUTXO.

A contratação de uma organização externa pode agregar conhecimento, reputação e novas capacidades ao ecossistema. Entretanto, essa vantagem precisa ser demonstrada diante das alternativas disponíveis, sobretudo quando existem iniciativas internas já financiadas e recursos limitados.

Nesse contexto, existe uma preferência por valorizar as capacidades técnicas desenvolvidas dentro do próprio ecossistema, especialmente quando apresentam histórico verificável de entregas e conhecimento especializado da infraestrutura Cardano.

Essa preferência não representa uma rejeição à participação de empresas externas. Trata-se de reconhecer que experiência relevante em outras blockchains, por mais expressiva que seja, não substitui automaticamente conhecimento específico de Cardano.

Portanto, a reputação internacional da OpenZeppelin merece reconhecimento, mas não constitui justificativa suficiente para dispensar evidências de capacidade técnica específica, integração com iniciativas existentes e competitividade econômica.

3. Voto e Justificativa

Voto: NO

A decisão contrária não decorre de uma avaliação negativa da reputação ou da capacidade profissional da OpenZeppelin. A organização apresenta um histórico relevante, uma proposta tecnicamente ambiciosa e mecanismos de Quality Assurance e controle de desembolsos que merecem reconhecimento.

Entretanto, a proposta apresenta deficiências fundamentais de accountability e justificativa econômica.

A ausência de KPIs robustos de adoção e impacto impede avaliar adequadamente os resultados esperados para o ecossistema. A granularidade insuficiente do orçamento impossibilita uma análise responsável da proporcionalidade dos custos. Além disso, a solicitação ocorre em um momento no qual recursos expressivos já foram comprometidos com iniciativas relacionadas à adoção e ao desenvolvimento de DeFi, sem que tenha sido demonstrada de forma suficientemente convincente a necessidade incremental deste investimento.

Cada um desses três fundamentos seria suficiente para justificar a rejeição. Sua combinação torna o voto NO particularmente sólido.

A experiência da OpenZeppelin em outros ecossistemas é um fator positivo, mas não elimina as incertezas relacionadas ao domínio específico da tecnologia Cardano, à coordenação com projetos existentes e à disponibilidade de alternativas.

A decisão também mantém coerência com posicionamentos anteriores contrários a grandes alocações de recursos que não apresentam justificativas econômicas, metas de impacto e mecanismos de accountability proporcionais ao investimento solicitado.

4. Conclusão

O problema não é necessariamente a finalidade da iniciativa, mas o momento, as condições e a insuficiência das evidências apresentadas para justificar outra retirada significativa do Tesouro.

A aprovação de um investimento dessa magnitude exige demonstrar alocação eficiente dos recursos, benefícios objetivamente mensuráveis e prioridade justificável diante das demais necessidades do ecossistema.

Essas condições não foram suficientemente atendidas.

Decisão final: NÃO.

WolfodenDRepVoted NORationale12d ago

Frozen. On-chain rationale, submitted 12d ago.

Most of the proposed contract categories already exist within the Cardano ecosystem in one form or another. While standardization and security reviews are valuable, this proposal does not sufficiently demonstrate why a treasury withdrawal of this size is required instead of leveraging existing ecosystem expertise and implementations.

I believe this work could be delivered through smaller, more focused initiatives, potentially via Project Catalyst, with clearer objectives, lower financial risk, and stronger community validation per action.

LourdeDRepVoted No12d ago

I am eager to see the outcome.

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