Last updated 5 months ago
In NYC, one of the world’s top crypto hubs, Cardano faces low visibility, limited product awareness, scarce DeFi activity, and minimal developer presence, hindering adoption and ecosystem growth.
Showcase Cardano Foundation open-source tooling, Cardano DeFi projects, and governance, with guest speakers from Cardano for other chains, investors, and projects exploring migration in NYC.
This is the total amount allocated to Cardano Summit NYC 2026: Global DeFi Connect.
Please provide your proposal title
Cardano Summit NYC 2026: Global DeFi Connect
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
60000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
6
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
In NYC, one of the world’s top crypto hubs, Cardano faces low visibility, limited product awareness, scarce DeFi activity, and minimal developer presence, hindering adoption and ecosystem growth.
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
'No dependencies'
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
Yes — the project will be open source to the extent necessary, with all non-sensitive materials (presentations, event recordings, speaker content, and post-event reports) shared publicly for community benefit.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Events
Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.
We target investors, policymakers, leading projects from other chains seeking migration, and individuals exploring Cardano. Outreach will focus on industry networks, targeted marketing, and strategic invitations. This matters to Cardano by showcasing its tooling, governance, and DeFi ecosystem to high-value decision-makers, driving new investment opportunities, fostering partnerships, attracting migration of established projects, and expanding the user base through direct engagement with key influencers and stakeholders.
Provide a list of key activities of your project?
Event activities include Cardano tooling, DeFi, and governance showcases; keynote talks from Cardano experts; panel discussions with multi-chain leaders; live demos; networking sessions for investors, policymakers, and migrating projects; an open bar and catered reception; and a closing session highlighting Cardano’s strengths for onboarding new users, partnerships, and investment opportunities, fostering cross-chain engagement and ecosystem growth.
What are your success metrics?
The event will host 100 verified attendees, boosting local and regional Cardano engagement. At least 15 participants will join governance or community activities post-event, and 2–3 attendees will explore Cardano Foundation open-source tools. Recorded sessions will gain 5,000+ online views within a month, while combined event-related posts across all platforms will reach 100,000+ views, significantly amplifying awareness of Cardano’s capabilities and driving sustained interest.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
This project will deliver a high-profile Cardano Summit event in New York City, strategically positioned in one of the most competitive crypto hubs in the world. With a 60,000 ADA budget over a six-month period (four months planning, one month preparation, one month for the event), the summit will target investors, policymakers, multi-chain developers, global blockchain leaders, and projects from other chains considering migration to Cardano.
Event Objectives
Showcase Cardano Foundation’s open tooling, governance frameworks, and real-world adoption cases.
Present Cardano DeFi projects alongside technical and strategic opportunities for onboarding external projects.
Spark ideation for Cardano ecosystem improvement through in-person discussions with global leaders.
Encourage cross-chain collaboration, inviting notable cardano projects like Finest, Tempo Vote, Optim, Palmyra and others to explore interoperability and shared infrastructure with other blockchains.
Core Event Features
Global Guest Speakers: High-profile figures from blockchain governance, policy, and DeFi, plus Cardano leaders delivering talks on governance topics such as treasury management, the constitution, and ecosystem sustainability.
Multi-chain Showcase: Key projects from other blockchains will share their models, followed by targeted sessions on how Cardano can offer improved governance, scalability, and compliance pathways.
Mini Workshops: Focused governance workshops covering treasury processes, constitution progress, and governance tooling demos to help participants better understand and engage with Cardano.
DeFi & Cardano Project Presentations: Highlighting liquidity, yield opportunities, and infrastructure from existing Cardano projects to encourage integration and investment.
Networking & Deal-Making: Curated networking segments with open bar and catering to promote relationship building among investors, policymakers, and builders.
Key Activities During the Event
Keynote presentations from Cardano Foundation representatives.
Case studies from Cardano DeFi and governance projects.
Governance topic workshops, including treasury operations and constitution discussions.
Cross-chain collaboration panels with leaders from other ecosystems.
Investor and developer networking sessions to encourage strategic partnerships.
Expected Measurable Impact
100 verified attendees from high-value target groups.
At least 15 participants become actively involved in Cardano governance or community discussions post-event.
2–3 projects begin exploring Cardano tooling for migration or collaboration.
5,000+ views of recorded event content within one month.
100,000+ combined post-event views across all event-related media content.
Increased awareness of Cardano’s governance capabilities, DeFi ecosystem, and potential for multi-chain partnerships.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
Hosting the summit in NYC—one of the most competitive crypto hubs—positions Cardano at the center of multi-chain dialogue while showcasing Cardano-native leaders like Tempo Vote, Optim, and Palmyra as anchor demonstrations of governance, DeFi, and ecosystem maturity. These projects will headline product demos and panels, while guests from other chains (builders, investors, policymakers) engage to explore interoperability and potential migration.
Why this matters to Cardano
Ecosystem proof & credibility: Cardano-native showcases (Tempo Vote, Optim, Palmyra) demonstrate live, working capabilities to a high-value, cross-chain audience.
Cross-chain collaboration: Structured sessions invite external projects to assess integration paths and standards with Cardano tooling and governance.
Governance uplift: Mini-workshops (treasury, constitution progress, governance tooling) convert attendees into informed contributors.
Community growth & visibility: Target of 100 attendees, 15+ new governance/community participants, 5,000+ views of recorded sessions in 30 days, and 100,000+ combined views across event posts increase Cardano’s mindshare and ongoing engagement.
Expected outcomes: stronger NYC presence, new collaboration pipelines, higher governance participation, and a durable narrative of Cardano as a practical, partner-friendly platform.
What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?
I, José Ramón Velázquez Cáceres, bring extensive experience in organizing impactful events for the Cardano ecosystem. As a multi-round Catalyst recipient (Fund 7, Fund 12), I have successfully delivered funded projects on time, within scope, and with documented accountability. I have helped organize high-profile gatherings such as the Cardano Summit in Argentina and Cardano Tech Week in Argentina, managing logistics, speaker coordination, sponsor engagement, and audience growth.
My deep understanding of Cardano governance, ecosystem tools, and project landscapes allows me to design engaging programs that connect developers, governance participants, and potential adopters.
Fund Management Process:
Milestone-Based Withdrawals: ADA released in stages tied to verified deliverables.
Transparent Accounting via Reeve: All budget allocations and expenses logged and publicly viewable in real-time, demonstrating Reeve’s utility while ensuring trust.
Vendor Contracts: Only trusted, verifiable vendors are engaged for catering, venue, and technical services.
Post-Event Close-Out: Comprehensive event report, photo/video archive, and final budget statement published for community review.
With a proven record of delivering Cardano events at scale and a robust transparency framework using Reeve, I am well-positioned to execute this project for maximum community benefit.
Milestone Title
Milestone 1 – Planning & Partnerships
Milestone Outputs
Secure NYC venue, catering, and open bar contracts; confirm Cardano-native and cross-chain guest speakers; finalize workshop themes on governance and DeFi; initiate targeted marketing outreach to investors, policymakers, and builders.
Acceptance Criteria
All venue and vendor contracts signed; public list of confirmed speakers with topics published; initial marketing campaign live with audience engagement data captured and stored for tracking purposes.
Evidence of Completion
Copies of contracts, invoices, and bookings; screenshots of public speaker announcements; marketing materials and analytics showing reach, impressions, and engagement rates from first campaign.
Delivery Month
3
Cost
18000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
Milestone 2 – Program Development & Promotion
Milestone Outputs
Finalize event schedule including panels, workshops, and networking; complete governance, treasury, and constitution workshop content; confirm AV setup, livestream plans; launch second marketing push with updated content.
Acceptance Criteria
Final program schedule is published online; all presentation and workshop materials are completed and reviewed; AV/livestream test successful with proof of functional, high-quality streaming readiness.
Evidence of Completion
Final run-of-show PDF; presentation slides and workshop handouts; AV/livestream test reports; screenshots and analytics from second marketing campaign demonstrating increased engagement.
Delivery Month
5
Cost
18000
Progress
90 %
Milestone Title
Event Execution & Close-Out
Milestone Outputs
Host NYC event with 100+ attendees, multiple workshops, and panels; reach 100k+ combined social impressions and 5k+ recorded video views; publish close-out report, Reeve ledger, and event highlight video.
Acceptance Criteria
Event executed per final published schedule in Luma; attendance verified via registration data; social and video metrics meet or exceed goals; close-out report and transparency ledger publicly available.
Evidence of Completion
Event photos/videos; registration and attendance data; social media and video analytics reports; public links to close-out report, highlight video, and Reeve transparency ledger for full accountability.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
24000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Milestone 1 – Planning & Speaker Outreach (Month 1–3) – 18,000 ADA (30%)
Breakdown:
Project Lead – José Velázquez (partial payment): 4,000 ADA
Venue research & deposit: 6,000 ADA
Speaker invitations & travel deposit: 3,000 ADA
Vendor deposits (production, catering): 3,000 ADA
Marketing pre-launch & design: 2,000 ADA
Milestone 2 – Event Build-Up & Content Production (Month 4–5) – 18,000 ADA (30%)
Breakdown:
Project Lead – José Velázquez (partial payment): 4,000 ADA
Speaker travel & lodging (partial payment): 5,000 ADA
Production services booking (stage, AV, livestream): 5,000 ADA
Catering & hospitality deposit: 2,000 ADA
Marketing campaigns (social media, ads, collaborations): 2,000 ADA
Milestone 3 – Event Delivery & Close-Out (Month 6) – 24,000 ADA (40%)
Breakdown:
Project Lead – José Velázquez (final payment): 4,000 ADA
Final venue payment: 5,000 ADA
Catering & open bar final payment: 7,000 ADA
Production services (remaining): 5,000 ADA
Speaker fees, travel balance, and honoraria: 2,000 ADA
Close-out video production & reporting: 1,000 ADA
Note on Transparency:
All budget use will be recorded in Reeve for public verification.
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This project delivers exceptional value to the Cardano ecosystem by positioning Cardano at the forefront of blockchain discourse in one of the most competitive crypto hubs in the world — New York City. For 60,000 ADA, we will execute a high-quality, multi-chain networking and showcase event that would typically require far larger budgets in NYC due to venue, catering, and speaker costs.
The event will:
Showcase Cardano’s strengths in governance, DeFi, and tooling to an audience of 100+ targeted attendees, including developers, policymakers, investors, and projects from other chains exploring migration.
Generate 100,000+ social media impressions and extensive post-event content, ensuring Cardano’s message extends far beyond the event day.
Provide direct community returns by onboarding new participants, driving collaborations, and creating a blueprint for similar Cardano events in other global hubs.
Include a transparent budget trail through Reeve, ensuring ADA spending is verifiable on-chain.
Deliver perpetual value via recorded sessions, governance workshops, and relationship building with high-value stakeholders.
By leveraging my past success with large-scale Cardano events, strong governance knowledge, and milestone-based fund management, this proposal maximizes the impact of every ADA spent.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
José Ramón Velázquez Cáceres – Project Lead & Event Director
Role: Overall leadership, event design, speaker coordination, partnerships, and delivery oversight.
Background:
Fund 7 and Fund 12 Catalyst recipient with a proven record of delivering funded events on time and on budget.
Event Organization Experience: Helped coordinate large-scale Cardano events including the Cardano Summit in Argentina and Cardano Tech Week in Argentina, managing everything from venue and vendor contracts to speaker management, program design, and sponsorship outreach.
Governance Expertise: Deep understanding of Cardano governance, treasury processes, and constitutional design — frequently hosts governance workshops across LATAM to engage communities in decentralized decision-making.
Global Ecosystem Knowledge: Experienced in connecting Cardano stakeholders with investors, policymakers, and technical talent from multiple chains to build collaboration opportunities.
Financial Transparency: Will manage all funds using Reeve for public, on-chain budget tracking, ensuring real-time accountability.
Network Strength: Existing relationships with Cardano Foundation members, project teams like Tempo Vote, Optim, Palmyra, and external multi-chain contacts to ensure a diverse, high-impact speaker lineup.
Supporting Collaborators & Vendors
While José is the primary accountable party, the event will leverage a network of trusted specialists for execution:
Event Production Partner: NYC-based professional production team for staging, lighting, livestreaming, and AV setup.
Catering & Hospitality Vendor: Licensed provider for high-quality catering and open bar services, ensuring professional service in compliance with NYC venue standards.
Marketing & Media Team: Freelance designers, videographers, and social media managers for branding, promotional materials, and content capture.
Guest Speaker Coordination: Dedicated volunteer support to manage speaker travel, lodging, and scheduling.
Why This Team Can Deliver
Proven Track Record — Prior large-scale Cardano events organized in Argentina successfully met attendance and engagement targets.
Financial Controls — Use of Reeve ensures every ADA spent is visible to the community in real-time.
Deep Ecosystem Integration — Ability to secure both Cardano-native and multi-chain leaders, bridging communities and driving engagement.
Local & Global Reach — Connections in NYC’s blockchain ecosystem plus relationships across LATAM, Europe, and Asia for international speaker draw.