Withdraw ₳12,000,000 for Cardano Builder DAO administered by Intersect
This treasury withdrawal funds **Cardano Builder DAO** which will provide the following services: The Cardano Builder DAO (**CB DAO**) is a **smart contract-enforced**, **member-governed funding mechanism** created to **support the application-layer growth of the Cardano ecosystem**. Its core purpose is to **provide sustainable financial backing** and **strategic oversight to high-impact projects** that are directly responsible for existing user adoption, on-chain activity, Total Value Locked (TVL), and ecosystem engagement. While Cardano's governance structure and funding mechanisms, such as Project Catalyst and core development committees, have been instrumental in bootstrapping protocol advancements and open-source tooling, **there remains a substantial gap in ongoing support for live, user-facing products/services. CB DAO fills that gap.** Through a **transparent governance framework**, **strict accountability mechanisms**, and a **metrics-first funding approach**, CB DAO ensures that builders with growing products on mainnet can scale sustainably, integrate cutting-edge Cardano infrastructure (e.g. Hydra, Leios, Midgard), and contribute to the ecosystem's long-term growth. This Treasury Withdrawal is submitted by Intersect on behalf of the vendor. The following sections; Abstract, Motivation, Rationale and Vendor Profile have been sourced from the approved proposal submitted by the Vendor as part of the Intersect budget process. This treasury withdrawal funds one of 39 proposals to give effect to the approved budget info action for ₳275,269,340, administered by Intersect via gov_action1u9x73kwufaxa70lfy59g4ynwyrcsaxdcd0gxzzmh67s9fxq4j8hqqk2phgh. The information provided herein is intended to fulfill the spirit of the constitutional requirement for a treasury withdrawal info action by also providing the details of the proposed solution, alignment to the budget, and amount to be withdrawn from the Cardano Treasury.
Reasoning
Written after the vote was cast
What this asks for, and from whom
12,000,000 ADA for the Cardano Builder DAO, administered by Intersect.
What would have to be true for this to be a good use of treasury funds
Getting capital to builders is the gap that keeps Cardano's application layer thin. A mechanism dedicated to that is worth trying, and in the first budget cycle I was willing to fund the attempt.
What specifically concerns me
This was part of the 2025 Intersect budget slate, which I voted as a slate. I am saying that plainly rather than pretending each line got its own week of deliberation. The slate came through a community budget process with a support threshold before it ever reached the chain, and my judgment was that the process outcome deserved backing in Cardano's first real treasury cycle. This is the vote that later shaped my no at epoch 641, when Builder DAO returned asking for 20 million. Funding a first attempt is reasonable. Nearly doubling it before the first round has demonstrated results is not, and I am not inclined to put new money after money that has not proven itself yet.
What I am asking of the proposer if this passes
It was enacted. Publish what the 12 million funded and what survived. That reporting is exactly what was missing when the 20 million ask arrived, and it is what would have changed my vote.