Input Output transfers control of core Cardano infrastructure to outside companies

Cardano's founding developer, Input Output, is transferring control of core infrastructure like its Haskell node and Plutus platform to external firms including Se7en Labs. The handover, beginning in August 2026, marks the final stage of the network's "Voltaire era" decentralization. This occurs as Cardano faces low network activity and its ADA token is down 95% from its all-time high, which founder Charles Hoskinson calls necessary "growing pains."

Infrastructure decentralization handover

• ▪The handover is described as the final stage of the "Voltaire era," Cardano's governance and decentralization phase
• ▪The full transition of control to external firms is scheduled to run through 2027
• ▪The infrastructure being handed over includes the Haskell node, Plutus platform, Daedalus wallet, and Hydra scaling technology
• ▪The Van Rossem hard fork upgrades Cardano to Protocol Version 11 and aims to cut smart contract execution costs
• ▪The announcement occurred one day before the Van Rossem hard fork, which was scheduled to activate on July 18, 2026
• ▪After the handover, Input Output will shift its focus to research and new ventures through IO Labs and IO Ventures
• ▪Input Output will transfer control of core Cardano infrastructure to outside specialist companies starting in August 2026

External development teams

• ▪The plan calls for at least three independent Cardano node implementations in Haskell, Rust, and Go to run in parallel
• ▪Community bodies Intersect and Pragma will oversee the new development structure and formal specifications
• ▪Teragone is a cryptographic research team that leads the development of Mithril, a Cardano stake-based signature protocol
• ▪The external firms taking over development include Se7en Labs, an agency with a Solana background, and Teragone

Cardano network struggles

• ▪On July 17, 2026, Cardano's ADA token was trading around $0.165, nearly 95% below its September 2021 all-time high of $3.10
• ▪Cardano's TVL is significantly lower than rival chains like Tron and Solana, which each have over $4 billion
• ▪Open interest in ADA futures was around $193 million on July 17, 2026, with a long-to-short ratio of 2.84
• ▪Cardano has weak network activity, with approximately $70 million in Total Value Locked (TVL)

Hoskinson response to setbacks

• ▪Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson framed the network's setbacks and weak activity as necessary "growing pains."
• ▪Charles Hoskinson said that failures must occur to build confidence in the system
• ▪Charles Hoskinson stated that the network has stopped expanding and needs more specialized teams to set targets and direct resources