Recent whistleblower claims have stirred up significant controversy within the Cardano ecosystem, revealing internal strife, strategic manipulation, and a decline in trust among its primary organizations. An anonymous email shared on X by well-known community member “Big Pey” (@bigpeyYT) allegedly uncovers tensions between the Cardano Foundation (CF), Input Output Global (IOG), EMURGO, and the member organization Intersect.
Whistleblower’s Claims Against Cardano
A whistleblower, who identifies as an invested member of the Cardano community with a background as a stake pool operator, suggests that there are significant issues within the CF, having engaged directly with its leadership and participated in collaborative groups. They argue that CF’s recent activities seem to be part of a strategy aimed at undermining key figures, including Charles Hoskinson and IOG, instead of advocating for community-centric governance.
The whistleblower claims, “Senior-level egos are tainting the strategy, and a successful plan may lead to Cardano’s gradual decline.” They criticize the CF leadership for prioritizing personal rivalries over the community’s welfare and describe a growing friction between the CF and IOG, which has reportedly become more pronounced recently.
An incident cited by the whistleblower in September indicated that IOG cut off communication channels after the CF allegedly tried to recruit key engineers. They also note tensions surrounding the Cardano Summit’s venue and budget, with the CF insisting on Dubai while disregarding Argentina’s potential even while holding substantial ADA resources.
The whistleblower continues, “The real problem is CF’s incompetence and their belief that they should steer Cardano, not IOG.” While acknowledging flaws in IOG and EMURGO, they emphasize CF’s dysfunction as the most critical concern, stating it overwhelms the shortcomings of the other organizations.
Central to the whistleblower’s remarks is the CF’s late involvement in governance frameworks like CIP-1694, which they claim IOG primarily authored. The whistleblower points out that while a CF representative contributed to this, their role was minimal, suggesting a disconnect between the CF and genuine progress in governance efforts.
Concerning the establishment of Intersect, the whistleblower reveals that while IOG and EMURGO backed its creation, CF was initially reluctant, joining only when necessary. They criticize CF leadership for merely offering excuses rather than making impactful contributions.
A particularly alarming accusation revolves around the CF’s unexpected move during the drafting of Cardano’s constitutional document. The CF published a competing proposal just a day after Intersect shared its latest version, which had gone through extensive prior engagement. The whistleblower believes this was a tactical attempt by the CF to claim credit for progress belatedly.
Additionally, they discuss CF’s recent involvement with Catalyst, the funding platform where the CF registered as a Delegated Representative, acquiring a significant amount of ADA to influence grant distributions. The whistleblower warns against the CF’s apparent initial resistance, suggesting it is merely a tactic to manipulate future governance outcomes.
The memo concludes by challenging the CF leadership on whether they will be transparent about their voting positions in future decisions, urging them to shift away from using their ADA holdings as leverage against the community’s choices.
Charles Hoskinson Responds
In light of these allegations, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson addressed them via X, stating that while the path has been challenging, he resonates with some aspects of the whistleblower’s comments. He expressed uncertainty about the CF’s future voting behavior and labeled the situation frustrating, indicating a disconnect within the CF’s decision-making processes and an apparent personal aversion toward him within the organization.
As of now, ADA is trading at $1.16.
