Cardano has achieved a crucial governance milestone following the successful Plomin hard fork. The Cardano Foundation announced in an X post that the Cardano Constitution has been officially ratified. This decision strengthens the network’s on-chain governance, ensuring transparency, accountability, and structured decision-making.
With the Constitution in place, ADA holders now have a direct role in shaping Cardano’s future. The framework decentralizes governance, shifting decision-making power from centralized entities to the broader community. This marks a significant step toward a more democratic and community-driven development process.
Community-Driven Effort Leads to Constitution Approval
The Cardano Constitution emerged from months of discussions, interactive workshops, and extensive community input. Its approval signals a broad consensus among stakeholders, including Delegate Representatives (DReps) and the Interim Constitutional Committee (ICC). The ratification follows the activation of the Plomin hard fork on January 29, 2025, solidifying Cardano’s governance framework.
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Cardano initiated its governance transformation with the Chang Hard Fork announcement in April 2024. This upgrade, a two-phase process, plays a crucial role in achieving the goals of Cardano’s final roadmap phase, Voltaire. Voltaire focuses on making Cardano self-sustaining through on-chain voting, off-chain mechanisms, and institutions like the member-based organization Intersect.
The first phase, launched on September 1, 2024, introduced a technical bootstrapping period to prepare for decentralized voting and governance actions. The second phase, known as the Plomin Upgrade, fully activated on-chain governance by finalizing and ratifying the Cardano Constitution. This phase empowers ADA holders to influence technical upgrades and Treasury withdrawals.
Governance Power Shifts to the Community
The Plomin hard fork has officially transferred governance responsibilities to DReps, Stake Pool Operators (SPOs), and the Constitutional Committee. These entities now oversee network governance through an on-chain voting system and Treasury management under CIP-1694.
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As a result, decision-making no longer rests solely with Input Output Global (IOG), the Cardano Foundation, and EMURGO, which previously controlled all seven governance keys. By redistributing governance authority, Cardano enhances decentralization and strengthens its commitment to self-sustainability.
With a robust framework in place, the network moves closer to achieving its long-term vision of community-driven development and transparent governance.
