Understanding Cardano: introducing the Cardano Blueprint
Foundational knowledge for easier understanding of the Cardano blockchain
20 June 2025 4 mins read
Cardano is a third-generation blockchain platform built on years of rigorous research and developed with complex technical components, including the Ouroboros consensus protocol and the extended UTXO (EUTXO) ledger model.
While the research and formal methods have provided a strong foundation, understanding the details of how Cardano works can be challenging for some community…
IOR outlines a research framework for SPOs
Input | Output Research (IOR) introduced a roadmap outline aimed at empowering Cardano’s stake pool operators (SPOs). Presented during the SPO call on May 1, 2025, this new framework outlines key research goals including infrastructure security, scalability, tokenomics and governance
19 June 2025 8 mins read
SPOs are the beating heart of Cardano — the network’s backbone on which the ecosystem expands. As we scale and grow, it’s essential that we support not just users, builders, and governance innovators, but also the SPOs who’ve helped carry the chain for half a decade.
As part of the Cardano 2025 Budget, IOR joined the monthly SPOs call on May 1 to present the relevant R&D…
Cardano node's evolution towards diversity and modular design
The Cardano network is moving towards a more diverse and modular node ecosystem design for improved stability and scalability
6 June 2025 6 mins read
As the Cardano ecosystem matures in 2025 and beyond, improving the core node software is one of several priorities for strengthening the network infrastructure. Introducing multiple, diverse node implementations – built by different teams and in different programming languages – can improve network resilience, reduce systemic risk, and better reflect the principles of…
Mithril: powering lightweight access to the Cardano blockchain
Mithril enables secure and efficient blockchain interactions for light wallets, layer 2 solutions, and stake pool operators by eliminating the need for full node synchronization
19 May 2025 3 mins read
What is Mithril
Mithril is Cardano’s solution for enabling secure, efficient, and lightweight interactions with the blockchain. By removing the need to download and verify the entire blockchain history, Mithril significantly reduces resource requirements and makes Cardano more accessible for use cases such as:
- Certification of account transactions/balances in browser-based light wallets (including mobile)
- Certification of transactions in layer 2 solutions (bridges…
Native tokens in the extended UTXO model
A brief recap on how Cardano handles native assets and why it matters
9 May 2025 5 mins read
Blockchain tokens can be used for many different purposes – for example, to send and receive payments, access services in decentralized applications (DApps), or store and transfer value. The utility of a token is determined by its use case, the market, or the community that issues or adopts it. Tokens can be:
- Fungible – identical and interchangeable, like reward points or units of the same currency
- Non-fungible (NFTs) – often representing unique items such as…