Emily Walker
On December 26, Cardano’s creator, Charles Hoskinson, conducted a comprehensive two-hour livestream from Gillette, Wyoming. He discussed potential collaborations with Ripple, updates on Chainlink integration, and efforts to connect Bitcoin to the Cardano framework, emphasizing the importance of security and cross-platform cooperation.
Progress on Cardano and Ripple Collaboration
Hoskinson characterized the relationship with Ripple as still developing, expressing interest in utilizing Ripple’s technology for Cardano’s planned privacy-oriented sidechain, Midnight. He mentioned ongoing technical discussions with Ripple’s CTO, David Schwartz, aimed at mutually beneficial integration.
“We are currently engaging in conversations between the teams from Midnight and Ripple, focusing on their technology stack,” he added.
He pointed out Cardano’s smart contract language, Marlowe, which could attract Ripple developers. “Marlowe could be extremely useful for the Ripple network, and exploring what we could achieve together would be exciting,” he stated.
However, Hoskinson acknowledged that forming partnership agreements takes time. “We began with technical discussions, and David has been an incredible resource. Once that phase is complete, actual integration work will follow, but overall the process has been smooth,” he remarked.
Chainlink Integration Status
Regarding Chainlink’s lack of presence on the Cardano blockchain, Hoskinson reminisced about their initial 2021 collaboration discussions, which unfortunately did not result in a full integration. He noted that despite previous agreements, the project has stalled.
“The integration was expected, and I was under the impression it had been completed. However, it fell through. There doesn’t appear to be an issue from a commercial or technical standpoint—something just went awry […] I will investigate to learn more about it,” he noted.
He reaffirmed Cardano’s interest in oracle technologies, essential for integrating real-world data into blockchain, mentioning alternatives like Charlie3 and Flare. Nevertheless, he emphasized that relations with Chainlink are amicable.
“I’ve always found Sergey [Nazarov] and the Chainlink ecosystem to be supportive. We intend to resume discussions soon,” he said.
Integrating Bitcoin with Cardano
During the session, Hoskinson provided insights into plans for integrating Bitcoin within the Cardano ecosystem, mentioning discussions among various teams focused on developing secure bridging solutions.
“Transferring assets between blockchains is a vulnerable point,” he remarked, referencing the numerous security breaches that have compromised cross-chain protocols. “We have seen billions lost to hacks in recent times.”
He emphasized that ensuring security through formal verification methods is critical for creating a BTC-ADA bridge, cautioning against any rushed projects responding to market pressures. The aim is to present a secure and cryptographically sound design by May 2025, at the upcoming Bitcoin 2025 conference.
“We must ensure our cryptographic methods are robust before proceeding,” he added, “as failing to do so could lead to catastrophic losses.”
In addition to the main developers at IO (Input Output), several community-led teams are also exploring bridging methodologies. Hoskinson welcomed these exploratory efforts but underscored his team’s commitment to a highly secure approach. “We excel at distinguishing between effective solutions and those that are not viable, ensuring we create lasting infrastructure,” he concluded.
At the time of reporting, ADA was priced at $0.90.