Cardano ADA: Hoskinson Rejects Treasury Funding for Exchange Listings, Upholds Financial Self-Sufficiency

In a recent development, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has firmly denied the use of ADA treasury funds to subsidize exchange listing fees for ecosystem projects, including notable initiatives such as Midnight and Snek. This decision underscores Cardano's commitment to financial self-sufficiency for projects built on its blockchain. The announcement comes amid increasing speculation about the future trajectory of Cardano and its native token, ADA. Hoskinson's stance reinforces the platform's principles of decentralization and independent growth, setting a clear precedent for how Cardano's resources will be allocated moving forward. As of August 2025, this policy reaffirms Cardano's dedication to fostering a self-sustaining ecosystem without relying on treasury reserves for external financial support.

Cardano Founder Hoskinson Denies Treasury Funding for Exchange Listings

Charles Hoskinson has drawn a clear line in the SAND regarding Cardano's treasury funds. The founder explicitly rejected using ADA reserves to subsidize exchange listing fees for ecosystem projects, including high-profile initiatives like Midnight and Snek. This stance reinforces Cardano's principle of financial self-sufficiency for projects building on its blockchain.

The declaration comes amid growing speculation about how Cardano-based tokens secure exchange listings. Hoskinson's unambiguous position shifts responsibility entirely to individual project teams, requiring them to budget for market access independently. This policy may pressure newer projects while maintaining the treasury's focus on protocol development.

Market observers note the timing coincides with increased scrutiny of blockchain treasuries' spending practices. Cardano's approach contrasts with some competitors that actively fund exchange listings to boost liquidity. The decision preserves ADA reserves for Core infrastructure rather than short-term market visibility plays.

Cardano Community Approves $70M Core Dev Budget, Boosting ADA Prospects

Cardano's CORE development team, Input Output Global (IOG), has secured a $71 million treasury allocation to fund network upgrades over the next 12 months. The proposal passed with 74% approval, authorizing the disbursement of 96 million ADA—roughly 13% of the protocol's treasury—to IOG. Payments will be milestone-based and overseen by Intersect, a member-driven governance body.

Key deliverables include Hydra, a layer-2 scaling solution for faster transactions, and Project Acropolis, aimed at re-architecting the cardano node for greater modularity. The team also plans to reduce memory usage and improve operational costs for validators. These upgrades could spur developer activity and new use cases, potentially driving demand for ADA.

The proposal faced opposition from critics who questioned its lack of granular breakdowns and transparency. A rival proposal by Cardano's Technical Steering Committee was ultimately rejected.