Across the blockchain industry, few networks have managed to turn governance into a fully functioning, community-driven system. Most rely on partial decentralization, leaving key decisions in the hands of founding teams. Cardano, however, has broken that pattern.
Key Takeaways
- Cardano completed the first fully community-elected Constitutional Committee, replacing interim members like IOG and EMURGO.
- The network launched a smart contract–based Treasury framework, automating fund disbursements through auditable onchain logic.
- Governance proposals are now executed transparently through ratification and enactment cycles, minimizing central oversight.
- These milestones mark the formal shift to decentralized governance, a cornerstone of Cardano’s Voltaire era.
According to Messari’s State of Cardano Q3 2025 report, the network successfully transitioned from a foundation-led model to a fully community-governed system, completing a milestone years in the making.
This governance shift is the culmination of the Voltaire era — the final stage of Cardano’s roadmap — which establishes a democratic framework where ADA holders, stake pool operators (SPOs), and delegated representatives (DReps) collectively define the network’s direction.
Q3 2025 marked the moment this vision became reality. For the first time, Cardano’s Constitutional Committee (CC) was elected entirely through onchain voting, ending years of partial control by founding entities such as Input Output Global (IOG), EMURGO, and the Cardano Foundation.
The First Fully Elected Constitutional Committee
After months of coordination, Cardano completed its first full constitutional election in September 2025, finalizing a transparent, verifiable onchain vote. Seven members were chosen, including the Cardano Atlantic Council, Tingvard, Eastern Cardano Council, and others — all community-based organizations rather than corporate entities.
The process followed strict constitutional rules outlined in CIP-1694, requiring concurrent majorities from both DReps (67%) and SPOs (51%) before final ratification. The proposal passed on September 1, and by September 6, the newly elected CC officially took office.
This change marked the end of the Interim Constitutional Committee (ICC), where IOG, EMURGO, and other founding entities previously held decision-making authority. By stepping down, they enabled a system where Cardano governance now belongs entirely to its community — a rare accomplishment in the blockchain world, where founding teams often retain permanent influence.
State of @Cardano Q3 2025
Key Updates: @InputOutputHK released the Halo2–Plutus verifier, bringing native zero-knowledge proof verification to Plutus smart contracts, while @MidnightNtwrk’s partnership with @GoogleCloud signaled enterprise confidence in Cardano’s privacy stack.… pic.twitter.com/YcA6ac7qhz
— Messari (@MessariCrypto) November 10, 2025
Smart Contract Treasury Framework: Funding Goes Onchain
Alongside the election, Cardano launched its most important governance infrastructure yet: the smart contract–based Treasury framework. Designed to automate the allocation of community funds, this new system replaces administrative trust with verifiable code execution.
The framework ensures that every ADA withdrawn from the Treasury follows an auditable, rule-based process. Managed by Intersect, Cardano’s neutral coordination body, it introduces multi-signature control, milestone-based funding, and real-time transparency.
Under the new model:
- Each Treasury withdrawal requires multi-signature authorization (2-of-5 for routine actions, 3-of-5 for sensitive ones).
- Five ecosystem organizations — Sundae Labs, Xerberus, NMKR, DQuadrant, and the Cardano Foundation — form an Oversight Committee that verifies every transaction.
- Payments are triggered by smart contracts only after a proposal passes ratification and constitutional review.
This structure replaces subjective administration with automated accountability, ensuring community funds are deployed efficiently and traceably.
Treasury Withdrawal Actions: Governance in Motion
The first large-scale test of this Treasury framework occurred in July 2025, when Intersect submitted 39 Treasury Withdrawal Actions (TWAs) for ratification. These actions represented the first wave of Cardano’s community budgeting process, funding everything from infrastructure maintenance to core protocol upgrades.
Once a proposal is approved by DReps and the Constitutional Committee, it passes through three key stages — Proposal, Ratification, and Enactment.
Votes are tallied at the end of each epoch, allowing delegators to change their stance mid-cycle. After final ratification, funds are released to the administrator’s wallet via a verified smart contract.
The system proved its reliability during these July transactions, which required tight coordination between Intersect, vendors, and the Oversight Committee. Each payment was executed within a 36-hour window, demonstrating how onchain governance can rival the efficiency of centralized fund management — but with full transparency.
A Historic Milestone: Funding the Network’s Core Upgrades
In August 2025, the community approved its first major onchain infrastructure allocation — a 96 million ADA package (roughly $71 million) to finance essential protocol upgrades such as Ouroboros Leios, Hydra scaling, and Mithril enhancements.
This marked the first time in Cardano’s history that core development was financed directly by community vote, not through a founding entity’s treasury. The Interim Committee approved the transaction to ensure a smooth handover, allowing the newly elected body to take office without immediate fiscal responsibility.
This action formally closed the gap between Cardano’s governance vision and its operational reality, proving that decentralized funding mechanisms can scale responsibly.
Why It Matters: Separation of Powers in Blockchain Governance
Cardano’s Q3 governance milestones set a precedent for decentralized networks worldwide. The combination of elected oversight, onchain treasury automation, and ratified funding brings institutional-level transparency to an open blockchain environment.
Unlike traditional DAOs that rely on simple token voting, Cardano’s model distributes authority across three pillars:
- DReps represent ADA holders in governance decisions.
- SPOs safeguard network consensus.
- The Constitutional Committee acts as a judicial body, ensuring proposals comply with Cardano’s charter.
Together, these groups form a balanced governance system — one that mirrors the checks and balances of democratic institutions, but enforced entirely through cryptographic rules and smart contracts.
The Oversight Committee and the Path Ahead
The Oversight Committee, comprised of five independent ecosystem organizations, now plays a vital role in maintaining procedural integrity. It does not influence political decisions but verifies the accuracy and legitimacy of Treasury operations.
Each member has limited signing authority, which prevents any single entity — even Intersect — from unilaterally controlling community funds. As Cardano governance evolves, this structure is expected to expand, with additional organizations participating in oversight to ensure continuous decentralization.
Looking forward, the system will also integrate with Project Catalyst’s new funding cycle, connecting proposal approvals directly to onchain Treasury disbursements. This will streamline funding for builders, researchers, and open-source contributors while maintaining strict accountability.
Brief Summary: A Blueprint for Decentralized Governance
Cardano’s governance overhaul represents more than an internal restructuring — it’s a working model for transparent, community-led blockchain administration. Few networks have implemented onchain voting, ratified budgeting, and independent oversight at this level of sophistication.
Quick Snapshot
- Fully elected Constitutional Committee operational since September 2025.
- Smart contract Treasury disburses funds via auditable logic.
- 96 million ADA allocated to infrastructure upgrades through community vote.
- Oversight managed by five independent ecosystem organizations.
Conclusion
Messari’s Q3 2025 report paints a clear picture of a network that has fully embraced decentralization in both principle and practice. Cardano is no longer guided by its founding entities but by its community, represented through onchain governance, transparent funding, and verifiable smart contracts.
This transformation is arguably the most advanced implementation of democratic governance in blockchain to date. With the Voltaire framework now active and self-sustaining, Cardano has entered an era where every ADA holder truly has a voice — and where accountability, transparency, and autonomy define the network’s next chapter.
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Alex is an experienced financial journalist and cryptocurrency enthusiast. With over 8 years of experience covering the crypto, blockchain, and fintech industries, he is well-versed in the complex and ever-evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and in-depth content. Follow his publications to stay up to date with the most important trends and topics.
Source: https://coindoo.com/cardano-completes-historic-shift-to-full-onchain-governance/