Last updated a year ago
Submitting governance proposals requires a 100K ADA deposit, excluding most ADA holders and preventing smaller stakeholders from participating in Cardano’s governance.
A smart contract platform that pools ADA so holders can collectively meet the 100K deposit, making governance proposal submission easier and more inclusive.
This is the total amount allocated to Pooling Platform for 100K ADA GA Deposit by Dquadrant.
Please provide your proposal title
Pooling Platform for 100K ADA GA Deposit by Dquadrant
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
100000
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?
Submitting governance proposals requires a 100K ADA deposit, excluding most ADA holders and preventing smaller stakeholders from participating in Cardano’s governance.
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
Apache-2.0 License
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal.
Governance
Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).
There is a clear need for a platform to able to pool ADA as a collective to be able to submit a Governance action proposal. Creating a multi-sig wallet, using CLI tool is not feasible for many in the community. So, an easy to use platform that connects the users existing wallet including various ways of transaction signing makes the participation in the governance much easier on Cardano. This is not currently available (or well known) on Cardano.
Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.
MVP will demonstrate a governance platform that allows users to create a proposal collective to create Governance action proposals and pool ADA for the governance action deposit. Any user can pool Ada to the proposal collective and any user can withdraw their funds at any time.
Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.
Realistic measures of success includes:
Other metrics:
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
The current 100K ADA governance action deposit prevents most ADA holders from submitting proposals, concentrating governance influence in the hands of large stakeholders. Our solution is a smart contract–driven platform that enables ADA holders to pool their funds collectively in a transparent, decentralized, and obligation-free way. This allows the community to meet the 100K deposit requirement together and unlock broader participation in Cardano governance.
1. Smart Contract System
Free and Open Participation: Any ADA holder can contribute any amount of ADA to the pool at any time. There is no minimum requirement.
Full Control: Contributors retain ownership of their ADA. They can withdraw funds at any time before they are committed to a governance action deposit.
Transparency & Tracking: Each deposit is tied to the contributor’s wallet, so users can always see their share of the pool.
Automatic Deposit Handling: Once the pool reaches 100K ADA, the contract locks the required amount for the governance action deposit.
Post-Proposal Refund: After the governance process concludes, the deposit is returned to the contract and contributors can withdraw their share at will.
Security & Safeguards:
The contract enforces rules without intermediaries.
Funds remain verifiable and auditable at all times.
No obligations are imposed on participants — entry and exit are always voluntary.
2. Governance Action Deposit Pooling
Pooling lowers the barrier by letting small ADA holders combine resources to meet the deposit threshold.
Contributors gain the ability to submit proposals collectively that would otherwise be impossible individually.
The process is transparent and decentralized, ensuring fair participation and eliminating gatekeepers.
3. User-Friendly Platform (Frontend + Backend)
A web platform will make it simple for ADA holders to interact with the smart contract.
Key features:
Deposit & Withdraw Interface – Seamless interaction with the pool.
Proposal Dashboard – Real-time status of total ADA pooled, proposals in progress, and participant counts.
Contribution Tracking – Clear breakdown of each participant’s share.
The backend will integrate with Cardano nodes and dbsync for accurate, reliable data.
4. Security and Transparency
Entire system will be open-source under Apache 2.0, enabling community review and audits.
Rigorous testnet deployment before mainnet launch.
Dockerized releases will allow anyone to self-host the platform.
5. Community Engagement & Feedback
We will involve ADA holders in testing rounds to ensure usability and reliability.
Feedback will be collected through GitHub issues, community forums, and workshops.
Tutorials and documentation will lower onboarding friction for non-technical users.
Why This Approach Works
Inclusive: Opens governance to ADA holders of all sizes using various ways of transaction signing.
Trustless: No central authority controls funds; contributors keep full control.
Transparent: Contributions and withdrawals are verifiable on-chain.
Reusable: The platform is open-source, allowing others to build on it.
Democratic: Strengthens decentralization by giving more people a voice in proposal creation.
Expected Outcomes
A fully functioning smart contract platform that enables collective 100K deposits.
A user-friendly DApp empowering participation without technical barriers.
Increased number and diversity of proposals submitted through pooled deposits.
A stronger, fairer Cardano governance system that reflects the community’s diversity.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project directly addresses one of the most significant barriers to participation in Cardano governance — the 100K ADA governance action deposit. By creating a smart contract platform that enables ADA pooling, we will make governance more inclusive, transparent, and accessible.
Key Impacts
1. Lowering Barriers to Governance
Today, only large ADA holders can realistically submit proposals due to the high deposit.
Our platform allows any ADA holder, regardless of balance, to participate by pooling with others.
2. Expanding Community Participation
Broader participation means more diverse ideas and perspectives feeding into Cardano’s governance system.
This increases innovation, fairness, and representation in governance outcomes.
3. Strengthening Decentralization
Decentralized pooling ensures that decision-making power is not concentrated in a few wallets.
This supports Cardano’s mission of being a truly decentralized and democratic network.
4. Building Trust through Transparency
On-chain smart contracts guarantee that deposits, withdrawals, and refunds are handled fairly.
Open-source code and community audits reinforce trust and accountability.
5. Long-Term Sustainability
Once delivered, this platform becomes a reusable public good for the Cardano community.
Other communities, DReps, and governance initiatives can adopt and extend it.
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?
The Kuber Team from Dquadrant is well-positioned to deliver this project. As an enterprise member of Intersect and long-standing partner of IOHK, we have over five years of consistent Cardano delivery, contributing to hard forks, governance frameworks, and developer tooling. We also serve on Intersect working groups and the Treasury Oversight Committee, underscoring the trust placed in our expertise.
We maintain tools such as the Autonomous Agent Testing Tool, GovTool, KuberIDE, and the Mempool Explorer, with previous Catalyst projects completed successfully and adopted by the community. Our track record demonstrates our ability to deliver production-ready, open-source solutions with quality assurance and transparency.
This proposal builds directly on our existing products and infrastructure, ensuring low execution risk. With milestone-based delivery, transparent reporting, and proven partnerships, we guarantee responsible fund management and the successful delivery of another high-impact governance resource for Cardano.
Milestone Title
Milestone 1: Smart Contract Development & Initial Testing
Milestone Outputs
Plutus smart contract for ADA pooling, deposits, withdrawals, and Development of the Plutus smart contract to support ADA pooling, deposits, withdrawals, and delegation logic. Deployment of initial version on testnet with complete documentation for review and reuse.
Acceptance Criteria
Smart contract must correctly execute deposit and withdrawal flows, track contributions by wallet, and reflect accurate pool totals on testnet. Code must meet quality standards and be licensed a valid Open Source license.
Evidence of Completion
Open-source GitHub repo containing the contract code, unit tests, and deployment scripts, plus a demo video showing testnet transactions proving deposits, withdrawals, and pool state tracking.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
20000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Milestone 2: Backend & Frontend Integration
Milestone Outputs
Development of backend services for indexing and data sync, and a frontend web platform with wallet integration, deposit/withdraw dashboards, pool tracking, and real-time proposal participation features.
Acceptance Criteria
Users must be able to connect their wallets, deposit and withdraw ADA, and view balances through the frontend, with backend syncing pool totals from the blockchain reliably. Web app runs live on testnet.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub repo including backend services, frontend DApp, and integration documentation. Public demo video showing user deposit, withdrawal, and pool status in real time through the platform interface.
Delivery Month
4
Cost
60000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
Milestone 3: User Testing, Refinement & Release
Milestone Outputs
Community-driven testing of the platform, identifying bugs, usability issues, and improvements. Refinements applied to both contract and UI to prepare for an audit of mainnet-ready stable and secure deployment.
Acceptance Criteria
Documented user testing feedback must be incorporated. Final DApp must operate securely on testnet without errors, supporting stable contract interaction, correct balances, and smooth user experience.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub changelog with fixes and refinements, user feedback reports published as issues, updated release notes, and public announcement with details of the deployment and invitation for community audit of the smart contracts.
Delivery Month
5
Cost
10000
Progress
90 %
Milestone Title
Final Milestone: Documentation and Completion
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
6
Cost
10000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Milestone 1: Smart Contract Development & Initial Testing
Budget: 20,000 ADA
Milestone 2: Backend & Frontend Integration
Budget: 60,000 ADA
Milestone 3: User Testing, Refinement & Release
Budget: 10,000 ADA
Final Milestone: Documentation and Completion
Budget: 10,000 ADA
Note: We believe smart contract audit by a trusted third party auditor is absolutely necessary for the mainnet deployment. However, the cost of such an audit is not included in the budget considering the limitation on the category funding limt of 100K.
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This project delivers high value by directly addressing a critical governance barrier — the 100K ADA deposit — with an open-source, reusable platform that empowers broader community participation.
The requested 100,000 ADA budget is allocated transparently across smart contract development, backend/frontend integration, infrastructure, and project management. This ensures skilled developers can deliver a secure, production-ready solution while maintaining accountability through milestone-based delivery and public reporting.
Compared to the cost of excluding thousands of smaller ADA holders from governance, the investment is modest and creates a lasting public good for Cardano. By enabling inclusive proposal submission, the project strengthens decentralization, increases diversity of governance input, and provides a foundation that other teams can extend.
The Kuber Team’s proven track record in delivering successful Catalyst projects and core Cardano infrastructure ensures that funds will be used effectively, minimizing risk and maximizing community benefit.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
The project will be delivered by the Kuber Team at Dquadrant, an experienced group of Cardano developers with a proven track record in governance, tooling, and infrastructure.
Sandip Pandey – Project Manager & Proposer
Sudip Bhattarai – Lead Smart Contract Developer & Infrastructure Lead
Nabin Pokharel – Senior Developer
Sital Nagarkoti – Fullstack Developer
Extended Development Team – 8 in-house developers available to support scaling needs and ensure timely delivery.
The team combines deep technical expertise, previous Catalyst delivery, and active roles in Cardano governance initiatives, ensuring capability and reliability in executing this project.