The sixth AMA session for the Cardano Budget Committee focused on the Technical Steering Committee (TSC) of Intersect and their goals for 2025. The session was structured with an introduction to meeting principles, including guidelines for participation, timing of responses, and an overview of the agenda. The session included a presentation by Matt Davis, who leads the technical operations team at Intersect, followed by a Q&A session with community members.
Matt began the presentation by outlining the journey of the TSC and the work done by the Core Infrastructure Roadmap Working Group. The process started in August with discussions on technical priorities, gathering input, and identifying potential projects for 2025. The TSC builds upon the goals established by the Product Committee and the Core Infrastructure Roadmap Working Group, prioritizing technical execution and implementation.
The session provided insights into the prioritization process for technical projects. The TSC’s role is to oversee technical implementation, ensuring that approved projects align with Cardano’s development needs. Key priorities include continuity and upgrades to core components such as Ledger, consensus, networking, and APIs. The session also clarified that while the TSC focuses on Cardano’s core infrastructure, individual projects and DApps are not currently part of its scope.
The discussion highlighted five primary goals identified by the Product Committee: increasing Cardano adoption, simplifying development, supporting DApp growth, enhancing decentralized governance, and maintaining the blockchain’s reliability. Several proposed projects were introduced as potential contributors to these goals, including improvements to transaction finality, pricing models, Hydra and Mithril enhancements, decentralized oracles, stablecoins, governance improvements, and Ledger architecture updates.
A significant portion of the presentation addressed the prioritization process for projects and community participation. The TSC emphasized the importance of continuous feedback, allowing the community to submit, review, and prioritize projects. A key element of the 2025 budget discussion was the recommendation to reserve 30% of funds as uncommitted, allowing flexibility for emerging needs throughout the year.
Following the presentation, the community engaged in an open Q&A session. Key topics included how projects are selected and executed, whether external partners can participate, and how procurement and tendering processes will be managed. It was clarified that while project proposals can come from various stakeholders, they must undergo a triage process before being considered. Additionally, all projects will be subject to an open bidding process, ensuring transparency and competition.
Concerns about conflicts of interest and accountability were also addressed. The TSC confirmed that a recusal policy is being developed to manage potential conflicts among committee members. Furthermore, a structured milestone verification process will be implemented to ensure that projects meet their objectives before payments are released.
The session concluded with a discussion on outreach and marketing for technical tenders. The TSC acknowledged the need to expand participation beyond the existing crypto ecosystem, emphasizing plans to collaborate with the Marketing Working Group to raise awareness and attract a broader pool of developers.
Participants were encouraged to engage further by reviewing project details on the knowledge base, submitting feedback through surveys, and attending upcoming AMA sessions. The next session will feature the Marketing & Communications Committee (MCC) and Open Source Committee (OSC), providing further insights into the ongoing budget process.
The meeting wrapped up with a reminder of available resources, including links to the knowledge base and upcoming events. Community members were urged to participate actively in shaping the budget and development priorities for Cardano in 2025 and beyond.
