Cardano Hands 5 Core Tools to Outside Teams in Bold Push

Input Output Advances Cardano's Decentralization Strategy

Input Output, Cardano's founding development company, announced on Friday, July 17, 2026, that it is transferring control of core blockchain infrastructure to independent outside teams as part of the network's next decentralization phase. The handover covers five key components: the Haskell node, Plutus smart-contract platform, Daedalus wallet, Hydra scaling technology, and developer relations. Founder Charles Hoskinson said the shift is necessary as Cardano faces weak network activity and a steep ADA price decline, framing the changes as growing pains on the path toward full decentralization.

Specialized Teams Take Over Cardano's Core Infrastructure

Specialist firms including Se7en Labs, known for Solana infrastructure development, and Teragone, which leads work on the Mithril stake-based signature protocol, will take on responsibilities previously centralized under Input Output. Hoskinson said the company needs dedicated, specialized teams capable of setting targets and directing resources independently, acknowledging the network has stopped expanding under its current structure. He called the move a milestone, noting Input Output Labs is spinning out the Haskell node to community curation while the ecosystem now has diverse development options.

Reducing reliance on a single company could reassure developers and investors concerned about centralization risk, though it may also raise short-term questions about coordination and development speed.

The success of this transition will test whether independent teams can sustain innovation without the bottlenecks or slowdowns critics have associated with Cardano's historically centralized development model.

Hoskinson expressed confidence that Cardano's partners are prepared for the shift, describing the ecosystem's expanded pool of independent contributors as essential to restarting network growth.