Welcome to Intersect’s Development Update #61. Our budget info action, comprising 39 proposals signalled in the final temperature check will be submitted in epoch 557, with DReps set to vote on budget allocations marking the next step towards ecosystem funding. Intersect’s committee elections closed with a 27% turnout and are now in audit, while candidate registration is open for the Constitutional Committee!

Finalising the budget and what’s next

As we prepare to submit the first coordinated ecosystem budget on-chain, Intersect has supported a community-led process to move from proposal gathering and DRep signaling toward formal on-chain governance actions. While the process wasn’t perfect, it saw strong engagement from across the ecosystem and marks an important step towards ecosystem funding for 40 proposals identified by DReps in the final temperature check.

Preparing for the next phase of our budget process

Over the past few months, the Cardano community has taken part in a coordinated process to shape a proposed budget for the ecosystem. Facilitated by Intersect, this process aimed to provide an open route for proposal submission, DRep signaling, and alignment with the 2025 product roadmap approved earlier this year.

Following the final temperature check on the Ekklesia platform, Intersect is now preparing to submit a Budget Info Action in epoch 557. If approved, this will represent the community’s formal endorsement of an aggregate budget allocation - paving the way for future Treasury Withdrawal governance actions, each requiring further DRep approval before any funds can be disbursed.

Approval of this Budget Info Action does not release any treasury funds. Each proposal included remains subject to individual contract terms, due diligence checks, and milestone-based funding mechanisms, which will be administered through a combination of traditional and smart contract frameworks.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this community-led effort so far. It reflects continued experimentation, learning, and an evolving approach to shared decision-making in Cardano’s self-governance era. 

Watch out for our budget info action next week!

The Intersect committee election vote closes and enters an audit phase.

Intersect was established to help advance Cardano by enabling its members to take an active role in shaping the network’s future. A key part of this mission includes several elected committees that provide expert guidance and support to governance decision-makers. These committees focus on areas such as technical development, open source, ecosystem growth, civics, and constitutional oversight - ensuring that decisions are informed, transparent, and rooted in the interests of the broader community. The structure is designed to minimize central control and encourage open participation, aligning with Cardano’s principles of decentralized coordination.

Voter participation

The official turnout for the 2025 Q1 committee elections was strong: 522 members cast their votes, representing 27% of eligible voters. This is a fantastic result not only for Intersect but also for the broader progress of Cardano governance. We’re grateful to everyone who participated and helped strengthen Cardano’s democratic foundations.

The official final numbers are as follows: 

Verification of results

Intersect engaged DQuadrant, a Netherlands-based Web3 and enterprise software firm active in the Cardano ecosystem since 2017 (public launch in 2021), to conduct an audit on the election results. Between the close of voting on May 7 and the publication of results on May 12, DQuadrant conducted a full audit of the election process. Their verification steps included schema validation, eligibility and timing checks, and reconciling results against Intersect’s internal tally.

Election results Monday 12!

Following verification, all candidates will be informed of the outcome of their applications. The complete list of elected members will be published on our website and in the Intersect knowledge base.

Afterward, successful candidates will begin onboarding, with general and committee-specific sessions planned over the coming weeks. Each committee secretary will also initiate outreach to schedule meetings and guide new members into their roles.

Thank you to our outgoing committee members

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all outgoing committee members whose terms have ended. These individuals have been instrumental in shaping the first iterations of decentralized governance on Cardano, offering strategic input, building working group infrastructure, and helping define each committee's operational models.

Their dedication laid the groundwork for what Intersect and Cardano governance have become. We recognize the time, energy, and care each member brought to the role and thank them for their lasting contributions to the ecosystem. As we welcome a new wave of committee members, we carry forward the legacy of those who helped build the path we walk today.

Constitutional Committee elections - call for candidates!

Cardano election season heats up with the opening of candidate registration for the Constitutional Committee (CC). The Constitutional Committee is an independent body of ada holders and an on-chain role. As it is not an Intersect committee; its election is being held separately from Intersect's committee election and planned with the expiry of the current interim Constitutional Committee on September 1, 2025 in mind.

Cardano’s governance is transitioning from the interim period, and the fully elected Constitutional Committee will be its constitutional backbone. Candidate registration opened on May 5 and closes at noon  UTC on May  31 , 2025. If you envision Cardano’s future, now is the moment to turn that conviction into action.

Why the CC matters

The CC plays a crucial role in upholding the principles and rules outlined in the Cardano constitution. We are excited to announce the opening of the candidate registration period for candidates aspiring to serve on this vital committee.

• Guardians of the constitution: The CC interprets and enforces the Cardano constitution, ensuring that all on‑chain actions respect its principles.
• Stability through transition: As Cardano unlocks decentralised governance, the CC provides legal and procedural continuity.

Who can register

Any ada owner is eligible to register. The application form is separated into individual, consortium, and company registration. As all seats will be up for election, Interim CC members are encouraged to stand again, but re‑appointment depends on earning sufficient votes, like every other candidate.

Seat allocation & terms

As the Cardano constitution mandates, this staggered structure locks in experience while guaranteeing regular infusions of fresh thinking.

Key dates & milestones

• May 5 – May 31  - Candidate registration window 
• June 10 - June 30 - Community voting 
• July 5 - Audited results are announced 
• Late July/August - Submission of the update committee governance action
• September 1 - New CC ratified 

Resources and support

Intersect will host dedicated X Spaces to facilitate candidate interaction with the broader Cardano community. These sessions will provide a platform for candidates to introduce themselves, share their vision for Cardano's governance, and answer questions from the community. More details on the schedule for these Spaces will be announced shortly.

• Twice‑weekly ask me anything (AMA) calls with the election working group — register at https://lu.ma/ccelection
• Guide for applicants
• Cardano blockchain ecosystem constitution 

How to register

1. Go to https://elections.constitution.gov.tools/
2. Connect your wallet 
3. Complete the multi-stage task (optional)
4. Fill in the optional and required fields 
5. Submit your candidacy 
6. Perform a liveness call or an X verification task as outlined in the application to receive a “verified” tag on your profile (optional)
7. Submission deadline:  noon UTC May 31 

Membership and community

Reminder: Free legal support for Catalyst-Funded projects (Funds 9–13)

In partnership with Storm Partners, an Intersect Enterprise Member, Storm are offering free legal consultations to all projects funded under Catalyst Funds 9 through 13.

Storm Partners has allocated a limited number of up to 90-minute confidential sessions, and there are currently 8 slots remaining — available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is an excellent opportunity to receive expert legal advice at no cost, explicitly tailored for Web3 and Cardano projects.

Legal support may include:

• Contract review & protection
• Global Dapp compliance
• Crypto-friendly incorporation guidance
• AML/KYC navigation for decentralized payments
• Smart contract legal insights
• Token classification support

To book your session, email natcha.chaiprasit@storm.partners

Don’t miss out — only 8 slots left!

Our membership numbers to date are:

Enterprise membership spotlight: Anastasia Labs

Anastasia Labs is a high-level Haskell consultancy specializing in mission-critical blockchain applications, focusing strongly on the Cardano ecosystem. Their expertise spans smart contract development, auditing, protocol design, and off-chain infrastructure, using tools like Aiken, Plutarch, and Helios.

Notable contributions include:

• Lucid Evolution – a production-ready off-chain transaction builder framework
• Midgard Protocol – an optimistic rollup Layer 2 solution for Cardano
• Smart contract libraries abstracting complex design patterns to streamline developer workflows

The team, led by Philip DiSarro (CEO), Jonathan Rodriguez (CTO), and Mladen Lamesevic (COO), brings deep experience in formal verification, robotics, and business strategy. Anastasia Labs also maintains an active open-source presence through its GitHub repositories.

Their work supports the broader Cardano developer community by raising the standard for secure, scalable, and efficient smart contract solutions.

Community hubs

This week, our community hubs are hosting the following events:

Japan hub

• X Space held on May 9 with 6 attendees.

Africa hub, led by WADA

• A WADA hub meeting was held on May 8 with 14 attendees. The event focused on reviewing Cardano’s 2025 budget priorities, exploring some key proposals that met the off-chain voting threshold and their relevance to Africa, and updates from SingularityNet. You can watch the recording here.

Next week, on May 16, don’t miss the Cardano X Consensus side event in Toronto, Canada. Our North America hub, led by Awen, will host the event. Event partners include ​Sundial Protocol, ​Rare Network, ​Clay Nation, and ​Awen. You can sign up for the event here.

Open Source 

This week, the open source office connects with Andamio. Andamio combines smart-contracts, learning management systems, and milestone tracking into a single tool. Options to use Andamio could be endless, make sure to tune in with James and Tex to find out more! Project Spotlight: Andamio

Catch up on our recent Cardano spotlights! Don’t forget to subscribe and be notified about our latest releases, including our bi-weekly open source committee meetings!

Delivery assurance

We have published the first Delivery Assurance quarterly report on the Knowledge Base. Please refer to it for further information on recently completed work: Delivery Assurance quarterly reports | Intersect—Knowledge Base.

Governance tooling

This week’s GovTool update fixed display dates, added hyperlink support in proposals, and resolved versioning issues. Lido Nation also improved analytics and outcome views. However, concerns rose after the funding proposal failed in the Ekklesia vote. A revised submission is planned within two weeks, with renewed outreach to highlight GovTool’s infrastructure value and builder efforts.

Governance in numbers

As we press ahead following Plomin, follow the progress of governance actions on-chain here every week. Since Friday, May 2, 2025: 

• We've advanced from epoch 555 to epoch 556
• Unique delegators increased by 3497 (161,934 -> 165,431)
• The total number of vote delegations increased by 4366 (183,870 -> 188,236)
• Total DRep votes increased by 190 (2627 -> 2817)
• The total number of DRep registrations increased by 12 (1255 -> 1267)
• DReps who have attached metadata increased by 23 (777 -> 800)

To learn how to start using Cardano GovTool, explore the GovTool documentation. Here, you'll find everything from step-by-step guides to detailed explanations of its features.

On the Intersect Discord server, you can connect to the core maintainers of governance tools via the new request and new help & support channels under Core Governance Tools in Discord. 

Governance tools working group

The working group discussed GovTool’s funding uncertainty, community sentiment, and sustainability. Key points included boosting transparency, highlighting backend complexity, and involving influential DReps. Ideas ranged from builder workshops to clearer proposal messaging. Collaboration with Catalyst was also explored, including roadmap alignment, Hermes stack integration, and cross-project developer coordination. Catalyst invited members to upcoming app testing.

GovTool is fully open source and maintained by Intersect members. The working group continues to invite community members to participate in discussions and contribute to the development of the Cardano GovTool. All feedback is welcome (see guide on feedback), and ongoing conversations are held in the wg-governance-tools Discord channel, where new feature ideas are regularly triaged and implemented.

Important member resources

• Do you want to catch up with the latest happenings with the Cardano budget, constitution, and hard forks? This page is for you!
• Intersect knowledge base - our frequently updated knowledge base provides granular detail on our internal governance structure, committees and working groups, funding opportunities, and other topics.
• Intersect website - the latest news, roadmap, and more.
• GovTool - take part in testing governance actions on the SanchoNet testnet.
• Intersect events calendar - keep up-to-date with all events Intersect hosts, such as working group and committee meetings, X Spaces, and more.
• Support - Please always use your membership email address and contact Intersect for support with any application errors, login issues, or questions without answers.
• Social: Join our lively community and interact with committees, working groups, and other members on Discord. We are also continually active on Twitter (X) and LinkedIn, so follow us there to stay updated on our latest news and insights.

Well, that’s it for this week's update. Thanks for reading! 

Finally, we would like to hear more from you about subjects that are important to you. Your ideas and suggestions are crucial to us. If you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions, please contact us via email, X, or LinkedIn.