Cardano Ratifies Its Constitution: 85% Vote Marks Historic Milestone

• Cardano has ratified its first official constitution with an overwhelming 85% approval, establishing a fully decentralized governance framework.
• At the time of writing, ADA traded at $0.74, reflecting investor optimism following the governance milestone.

The Cardano blockchain has achieved a historic milestone by ratifying its first official constitution, replacing the interim governance framework with overwhelming support from the community. In a decisive vote, 85% of participants approved the measure, far surpassing the 75% threshold required for adoption. This landmark decision cements Cardano’s long-term vision for decentralized governance and sets the foundation for the ecosystem’s future development.

A Historic Moment for Cardano

The results were announced by Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson during a livestream on February 18, where he shared real-time data from the platform’s governance tools. “The Cardano Constitution replaced the interim Constitution 85% [Yes] to 6.62% [No]. Only 7.68% did not vote,” Hoskinson stated. The measure was also unanimously supported by the seven-member Constitutional Committee, further solidifying its legitimacy.

Hoskinson underscored the significance of such a strong consensus, stating,

Imagine the level of consensus you have to have to get 75% approval. We did it here and we did it across the world with people all around who came to know each other through the process.

The vote followed an extensive period of community engagement, which included over 65 workshops, a dedicated constitutional convention, and contributions from 1,800 participants. This rigorous process ensured that all stakeholders had the opportunity to shape the final governance framework.

What’s Next for Cardano?

Although the vote has been finalized, the constitution will officially take effect at the next epoch change, which typically takes a few days to record on-chain results. Hoskinson expects this transition to be completed by Thursday, marking the culmination of a two-year effort to solidify Cardano’s governance model.

With the ratification, Cardano now boasts what Hoskinson describes as a “fully decentralized” governance structure. He compared this framework to Bitcoin’s decentralized architecture but emphasized that Cardano’s system includes a formal mechanism for future upgrades. A key feature of this governance model is the Cardano treasury, which currently holds 1.5 billion ADA and will be allocated through on-chain governance votes by community representatives.

A New Era of Decentralized Governance

The newly established Constitutional Committee, which played a pivotal role in approving the measure, will eventually transition to a fully decentralized election process later this year. As the committee’s term expires in September, Cardano’s governance will enter another phase of democratization.

Hoskinson also highlighted upcoming priorities, including ratifying the product roadmap and finalizing budget allocations. “We have some more things ahead of us […] We have to get the product roadmap ratified, we have to get the budget ratified,” he explained.

He reassured the community that the constitution is a living document, designed to evolve over time. Discussions are already underway regarding potential improvements to voting mechanisms, such as the introduction of quadratic voting and expanded delegate structures. The goal is to ensure that Cardano’s governance remains robust, inclusive, and adaptable.

Beyond the immediate celebration, this milestone firmly positions Cardano as a leader in decentralized governance. Hoskinson emphasized that Cardano now has the largest governance layer in the cryptocurrency space, allowing the network to crowdsource ideas and strategies efficiently. “We can crowdsource any idea, any strategy […] and not only can we crowdsource it, we can converge to a single common understanding,” he stated.

Unlike other cryptocurrencies that often struggle with contentious upgrades due to the lack of formal governance structures, Cardano’s new model enables a streamlined decision-making process while maintaining decentralization. The newly ratified constitution is expected to facilitate future enhancements, including increased throughput, better tooling for decentralized applications, and expanded interoperability features.

At the time of writing, ADA traded at $0.74, reflecting investor optimism following the governance milestone.