Project Catalyst

Decentralized Innovation

To ensure long-term self-sustainability, a blockchain needs a way to fund developers, researchers, and creators. Cardano achieves this through the Cardano Treasury, which collects a portion of all transaction fees and staking reserve drawdowns. Project Catalyst is the decentralized funding program that empowers the community to allocate this treasury.

How Catalyst Works: The Funding Cycle

Project Catalyst operates in successive funding rounds (Funds). Each Fund follows a structured community cycle:

1. Ideation & Proposal Submission: Anyone can submit a proposal to solve specific challenges defined for that Fund (e.g., developer tools, education, or DApp creation).
2. Community Review: Independent Community Reviewers evaluate proposals based on impact, feasibility, and value for money, providing scores and constructive feedback.
3. Voting: ADA holders vote on proposals on-chain using a dedicated voting application.
4. Funding & Milestones: Winning proposals receive treasury funding paid out in ADA. Payments are distributed in milestones to ensure projects deliver on their promises.

Voter Rules & Mechanics

• Weighted Voting: Your voting power is directly proportional to your ADA balance at the time of the snapshot (1 ADA = 1 Vote).
• Minimum Balance: To prevent spam and sybil attacks, you must hold a minimum of 25 ADA in a registered, non-custodial wallet to vote.
• Registration Credentials: Upon registering, you receive a unique QR code and PIN. These must be stored securely, as they are the only keys to access your voting power inside the mobile application.
• YES / NO Voting: Voters can cast positive (YES) or negative (NO) votes on proposals. The final tally is calculated as YES - NO, and projects are funded down the ranking until the budget for that category is exhausted.