A purpose-built, Smart Contract DAO-governed funding mechanism that advances Cardano by supporting and sustaining high-potential projects.
Underpinning the CB DAO is a mission to grow on-chain activity and adoption of Cardano. This emphasis on tangible metrics and established projects distinguishes us from other funding structures.
Through semi-annual budget proposals, we distribute resources to projects that can demonstrate growing on-chain activity and active user bases.
By openly sharing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), funded projects remain accountable to both the DAO and the broader Cardano community.
Governance decisions, including funding requests to treasury withdrawals, go through transparent voting processes enforced by on-chain smart contracts, ensuring that no single group can unilaterally control funds.
Provide funding for development, and growth for proven projects building on Cardano. The goal of all funded projects is to become profitable and self-sustaining, so future projects can achieve the same through Cardano Builder DAO.
Cultivate a community where expertise, accountability, and feedback flow among Cardano builders. Leverage each other's success to create a growth flywheel for Cardano.
Projects receiving funds must track and report on metrics like on-chain transactions, active users, TVL, downloads, and commit activity. This ensures measurable impact and helps prioritize proposals that offer the greatest ecosystem benefit.
Each member (project) has one vote, ensuring that no single group has an outsized impact on deciding which projects receive funding.
Proposals for funding undergo a "temperature check" via a poll on the Clarity Platform. Meeting the required voting threshold of at least 33% of DAO members is essential, and successful proposals must have more upvotes than downvotes to proceed.
Every 6 months, on-chain treasury withdrawal proposals are submitted as roll-ups of the approved funding requests. 51% of all DAO members must approve before smart contracts release the funds. This stringent requirement safeguards against misallocation of resources.
The treasury is established using ADA allocated to CB DAO from the Cardano Treasury. A treasury deposit would flow directly from the Cardano Treasury to the DAO, ensuring there is no possibility of an adverse 3rd party receiving funds and creating uncertainty. This is a departure from the large-scale lump sums often distributed from the Cardano Treasury, resulting in a more sustainable and accountable use of resources.
The treasury operates on a 6-month funding cycle. This ensures that funds are distributed on a predictable schedule, allowing projects to plan their development activities accordingly. The funding process is entirely governed by the DAO members through the voting mechanisms described in the Governance Structure.
We are set to support and sustain Cardano's evolving dApp ecosystem. Here's a brief look at our yearly operating cycle:
This rhythm ensures that critical governance actions—from membership approvals to distributing funds—are conducted in a predictable, transparent manner.
If you're Building on Cardano, the CB DAO invites you to:
By working together under a clear, rational, and forward-thinking framework, the CB DAO aims to grow on-chain activity and adoption of Cardano.