A milestone that transforms the ecosystem
Since 2021, Catalyst has channeled over ₳251,788,000 into nearly 2,222 projects across more than 100 countries, a number set to climb higher as Fund 15 results are finalized. The milestone of 1,500 completed projects is a seismic shift, not merely an operational tally. It signifies a mature ecosystem fueled by grassroots innovation, where builders at every level, from first-time developers to emerging startups and community leaders, have forged bold ideas into tangible, working solutions.
These initiatives are not just outputs; they are the bedrock of Cardano’s advancement. They function as powerful engines for adoption, education, tooling, infrastructure, and monumental social impact. Each effort aggressively strengthens Cardano’s core: expanding open-source libraries, onboarding new developers, cultivating local communities, pioneering new economic models, and proving real-world utility across diverse global regions and industries.
This success is a direct, vibrant reflection of the global community driving Cardano forward. It is the victory of thousands of passionate contributors who actualized their vision, applied their skills, and built from the ground up. Their relentless dedication has established Catalyst as one of the largest grassroots innovation powerhouses in Web3, irrevocably shaping Cardano into a more decentralized, resilient, and inclusive ecosystem.
1491: GateKeeper: The Ultimate Event Management Platform
The GateKeeper project is transforming beyond a simple ticketing tool. Funded upgrades deliver powerful reporting, complete multi-event support, and a polished user experience for both organizers and attendees. This breakthrough solves a major bottleneck for Cardano events, allowing hosts to generate attendance reports, track registrations, and manage numerous events from a single instance. With documentation as the final step, GateKeeper is poised to become the essential, scalable, open-source event-management platform for the entire community.
1492: UTXO Alliance: Mastering Cardano's Foundational Model
The UTXO model is fundamental to Cardano, yet its complexity often presents a barrier. The UTXO Alliance Content Manager is dedicated to closing this educational gap. It produces and distributes high-quality, accessible content, demystifying UTXO mechanics to empower a new wave of confident Cardano builders. With four of five milestones complete, this initiative is directly enabling wider, deeper technical adoption.
1493: Janus Wallet: Private and Simple Cardano Onboarding
The Janus Wallet proposal is a game-changer for new user adoption. It envisions a privacy-focused wallet, supercharged by zero-knowledge (ZK) proof technology, to fundamentally streamline identity and the onboarding process. As an early-stage concept, Janus Wallet promises to dramatically lower the entry barrier, offering non-technical users a secure, private, and simple bridge to engage with the complex world of Cardano.
1494: Hydra-Powered: The Future of On-Chain Payments
This project delivers a crucial open-source library to the Cardano ecosystem, enabling native on-chain subscriptions and pay-as-you-go micropayments, all built on Hydra. This ready-to-use tooling is an immediate unlock for a new class of dApps—from content services to platform access—that depend on recurring or micro-transaction models. By radically lowering friction for creators, it accelerates developer-friendly infrastructure and scales Cardano’s commercial utility.
1495: Ledger Live Integration: Fortifying Mainstream Security
Integrating and maintaining Cardano support within Ledger Live, the industry-standard hardware wallet interface, is paramount for security-conscious users. This project ensures robust, long-term maintenance and improved usability. Reliable integration with this trusted platform elevates Cardano's appeal to institutional and retail investors alike, fostering critical trust for asset management on a familiar and secure interface.
1496: Cardano Explorer: Evolving into a Data Powerhouse
The Cardano Explorer is being reimagined from a simple block browser into an advanced analytics and visualization platform. This upgrade grants users and developers powerful access to data insights, including deep network metrics, transaction patterns, and trend analytics. By transforming raw blockchain data into actionable, visual intelligence, the explorer will empower the community to monitor activity and make data-driven decisions.
1497: IndiaCodex Hackathon: Igniting Developer Engagement
The IndiaCodex Hackathon is a large-scale, nationwide event designed to mobilize 3,000+ students, developers, and tech professionals. By providing an unparalleled opportunity to build, learn, and collaborate within the Cardano ecosystem, this initiative will dramatically catalyze grassroots developer engagement. Large-scale events like this are the key to adoption, knowledge transfer, and network building, fueling a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem.
1498: Nigeria SANDBOX: Nurturing the Next Wave of African Builders
The Unified Cardano Student Club Nigeria SANDBOX is an innovation crucible, creating a dynamic environment for student-led startups and developers to co-create, experiment, and learn. Positioned as a platform for project incubation, it will nurture local talent and support early-stage, Cardano-based ventures in Nigeria. By deeply rooting blockchain education within the student community, this initiative is poised to generate a powerful wave of grassroots innovation and cement Cardano’s footprint across the region.
1499: European Community Hubs: Decentralizing Governance and Engagement
The European Cardano Community Town Hall Operations & Country Hubs proposal establishes a critical framework for structured meetups and governance across the continent. By coordinating Town Halls and building dedicated country hubs, this initiative actively fosters local communities and regional engagement. These hubs are essential for localized education, event coordination, and representation, strengthening Cardano’s decentralization both socially and geographically.
1500: Dandelion-lite: Decentralized nodes for dummies for GameChanger, Gimbalabs, Roundtable and devs
Dandelion-lite makes it easier for anyone to run decentralized Cardano node infrastructure without needing deep technical expertise. By offering simple, container-based setups, it reduces reliance on centralized APIs and empowers developers, educators, and community members to support more resilient dApps across the ecosystem.
2025 Report: Project Catalyst Spotlight
This section highlights the critical, community-led initiatives that drove the Catalyst ecosystem to new heights in the 2025 report, demonstrating our commitment to scaling innovation and adoption. Dive in to see the impact of Catalyst in the Cardano Ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
Catalyst's future is incredibly exciting. Voting for Fund15 opens on 13 January 2026 and runs until 27 January 2026, marking another major step forward for the ecosystem. With new rounds of onboarding ahead, Catalyst is set to surpass 2,222 funded projects, strengthening the global network of builders, creators, and teams tackling real-world challenges through Cardano.
Project Catalyst continues to evolve as one of the most dynamic community-driven innovation platforms in Web3. With your ongoing participation and support, we can empower even more creators, thinkers, and innovators to bring impactful ideas to life.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far. If you're new, we want you with us. You ask, we deliver!