Hoskinson Declares Cardano Completed as IOG Pushes Hydra and Leios Upgrades

Input Output Global CEO Charles Hoskinson announced that Cardano has been fully completed, marking the end of the original roadmap's scaling phase. IOG is now focusing on additional projects including Hydra, a layer-2 protocol, and Leios, an ambitious layer-1 upgrade, both being developed at the company's own risk without guaranteed funding. Hoskinson stated that if these projects are not financed, IOG will finish the work in progress and then shift its focus to other opportunities. He also addressed community concerns regarding the state of funding and historical debates over Cardano's completed status, noting that the original funding contract expired in 2020. Despite criticism and reminders of past projects like the failed Atala Prism in Ethiopia, Hoskinson emphasized Cardano's strong ecosystem, citing its market cap of around $25 billion, thousands of dApps, and a robust treasury. He underlined the importance of delegated representatives in the decentralized decision-making process and urged community support for the current budget proposal to continue the ecosystem’s development.