Charles Hoskinson has warned that Cardano could lose its long-standing research advantage after delegated representatives (dReps) voted against a major funding proposal tied to the network’s scientific development.
The dispute emerged during an ongoing governance vote on a proposal submitted by Input Output Global (IOG), the blockchain engineering company behind much of Cardano’s development. Several Japanese dReps opposed the proposal, triggering concerns from Hoskinson about the future of Cardano’s research operations.
This doesn’t have anything to do with me. This has to do with destroying the entire core of our ecosystem. Cardano is the science coin. That’s our brand. We spent hundreds of millions of dollars and a decade to earn the right to say that. You don’t throw it away
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) May 20, 2026
dReps reject key research proposal
Hoskinson revealed that opposition from some Japanese dReps could threaten the continuation of Cardano’s research-focused strategy. He said failure to approve the proposal may lead to the closure of Cardano’s research lab and the exit of scientists working on the ecosystem.
The debate quickly sparked reactions across the Cardano community. Some members defended the governance process, arguing that decentralized systems are designed to allow disagreement, even when outcomes conflict with the preferences of major figures within the ecosystem.
One community member, Tony, said that dRep governance is still developing and that disagreements should be expected as the model matures.
Hoskinson defends Cardano’s scientific identity
Hoskinson rejected claims that the debate was centred around his personal influence. Instead, he described the issue as critical to preserving Cardano’s identity as a research-driven blockchain network.
According to him, Cardano built its reputation through years of peer-reviewed research, formal verification, and academic development practices. He argued that abandoning research funding could weaken the core feature that separates Cardano from many competing blockchain platforms.
Cardano has long promoted itself as a “science-first” blockchain, with supporters often viewing its slower development pace as a trade-off for stronger security and sustainability.
Is the proposal facing heavy opposition?
The proposal, titled “Cardano Vision 2026: Human Centred, Scalable, Post Quantum Secure – IO Research,” focuses on funding research related to scalability, cryptography, post-quantum security, and human-centred blockchain design.
At the time of writing, the proposal continues to face strong resistance from voters. More than 82% of voters currently oppose the measure, while support stands below 18%. Voting is expected to end on June 8, 2026.
Meanwhile, Cardano is firmly moving into the multichain era with the integration of LayerZero, one of Web3’s most widely used interoperability protocols. The upgrade will connect Cardano to more than 160 blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum and BNB Chain, significantly expanding its access to liquidity and cross-chain assets
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