Input Output, the engineering company behind Cardano, has submitted nine proposals for funding totaling $46.8 million for 2026. This amount is significantly lower than the $97.5 million requested in 2025.
The proposals aim to scale up Cardano's transaction processing capacity and expand its capabilities into Bitcoin DeFi. Specifically, they focus on two key areas: Leios, a consensus upgrade that would increase Cardano's transaction processing capacity by 10-65 times, and Pogun, a system that would bring Bitcoin-based decentralized finance to Cardano.
The proposals also cover various other aspects, including performance improvements to the smart contract engine, security testing infrastructure, developer tools, and expanded API services. Each proposal is tied to specific delivery milestones, rather than receiving funding upfront.