Leios takes the stage at Crypto 2025

Input | Output (IO) is thrilled to announce that the comprehensive analysis of Ouroboros Leios, the cutting-edge high-throughput protocol developed by Input | Output Research (IOR), has been accepted for presentation at the esteemed Crypto 2025 conference.

Organized by the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR), the event stands as one of the most prestigious and recognized academic platforms in both theoretical and applied cryptography.

Since its inception in 1981, Crypto has seen the unveiling of numerous groundbreaking works that have shaped the landscape of modern cryptography, spanning critical areas such as public-key cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs. Acceptance to this conference implies a high level of rigor and innovation in cryptographic research.

Driving confidence through research

IOR's commitment to publishing its work in top-tier conferences like Crypto is a testament to its dedication to furthering industry-wide advances in blockchain technology. IO’s long-standing tradition of producing high-quality research has firmly established IOR as a leading institution in the academic exploration of fintech and blockchain networks. This acceptance further validates the foundational principles and potential of the Ouroboros Leios protocol.

Leios' journey from research to reality

While rigorous research forms the bedrock of innovation, it's only the initial step in delivering robust blockchain infrastructure. In this recent video, Charles Hoskinson discussed Ouroboros Leios and outlined the anticipated implementation steps following the research findings.

Leios is designed as a scalable extension of Ouroboros Praos, maintaining its security properties while introducing a novel multi-block architecture to significantly enhance transaction throughput. This design incorporates a tunable parameter for scalability and aims for efficient resource utilization.

The current phase, which is expected to conclude in the second half of 2025, involves intensive prototyping focused on producing formal specifications and simulations. Following this, a Cardano Improvement Proposal (CIP) will be finalized, leading to a Request for Proposal (RFP) for implementation. Updates on the innovation process continue to be shared via the monthly open community calls.

The development of Leios is a high priority, reflecting its potential to significantly advance Cardano's scalability while preserving its core principles of decentralization and security.

Looking ahead

The acceptance at Crypto 2025 underscores the rigorous academic foundation of the protocol’s research.

IO will continue to share progress and insights with the community as the research matures and moves through the innovation stage into development and deployment.