🌄Paid Open Source Model (POSM)
This is the guide and tracking page for all programs for the OSC Budget approved by DReps and the Constitutional Committee in Q3 2025.
The Paid Open Source Model is now from concept into a practice as we pilot this whitepaper idea into a thriving example of Web3 Sustainability to address the core problems found in most open-source ecosystems. This work started out as a YouTube presentation, gone to whitepaper to a budget line item in the Cardano treasury funding process and is now live after community approval from DReps and Constitutional Committee. Also some may ask why do we have a Possum as a mascot?
Resilience and Adaptability: Possums are survivors. They thrive in diverse and sometimes harsh environments, much like open source contributors who often work with limited resources, across many projects, and in constantly changing technical landscapes. Just as the possum adapts and endures, open source communities persist through challenges: volunteer burnout, shifting priorities, or funding gaps.
Communal Strength: Possums are communal and resourceful; traits that mirror open source communities where collective effort is greater than the sum of individual parts. By making the possum the mascot of POSM, we highlight that sustainability in open source isn’t about a single project or person—it’s about collective survival and growth.
For full details on this program and it's history, please see the below resources:
YouTube Video on the original concept: https://youtu.be/j4PgqaPWNT4?si=0oIgKj_bkm2rWmTw
The Whitepaper peer reviewed and validate by industry experts: https://committees.docs.intersectmbo.org/intersect-open-source-committee/about/open-source-office-oso/intersecting-open-source-and-sustainability-a-paid-open-source-model-for-ecosystems
The proposal that was listed for voting: and approved by Cardano's governance process: https://committees.docs.intersectmbo.org/intersect-open-source-committee/about/readme/open-source-committee-2025-proposals
Now for the main purpose of this page, below you can find a list of the programs listed in the POSM below, provided with the landing pages for details, associated processes, applications, and guidelines.
Maintainer Retainer
Core Maintenance: Supports key maintainers for 25 open-source projects, with half focused on Core Cardano Node and the other half on community-nominated projects through the Open Source Committee (OSC). Support: Ensures a sustainable pool of experienced maintainers who provide long-term stewardship for essential repositories. Operational: Guarantees continued development and maintenance of crucial open-source components. Community: Enables wider community participation by supporting new and diverse maintainers.
Code Fos Us
Core Maintenance: Directly supports the development of requested features or tools for Cardano’s ecosystem. Support: Provides financial assistance to projects aiming to enhance open-source tooling and development. Operational: Allocates funds to initiate trials and measure the effectiveness of the model. Community: Allows contributors to earn bounties by developing features for qualified projects and tooling.
Tooling Sustainability
Core Maintenance: Funds critical open-source libraries and tools essential to the Cardano ecosystem, ensuring their long-term sustainability.
Support: Provides resources for project identification, community feedback integration, licensing assessment, and ongoing project monitoring.
Operational: Manages funding distribution, tracks project development, and ensures alignment with governance standards and community needs.
Community: Engages developers and stakeholders through contribution opportunities, roadmap visibility, and support for high-demand tools like dApp frameworks, wallets, and explorers
Bug Bounty
Core Maintenance: Funds rewards for ethical hackers identifying vulnerabilities.
Support: Covers the administration and evaluation of reported security issues.
Operational: Ensures continuous security improvements for Core Cardano.
Community: Engages security researchers and enhances overall blockchain resilience.
Incident Monitoring
Core Maintenance: Ensures rapid response to security incidents.
Support: Covers 24/7 monitoring, incident detection, and mitigation.
Operational: Provides funding for dedicated security engineers and tools.
Community: Strengthens network resilience and safeguards user assets.
Project Support Services
Core Maintenance: Supports more complex services beyond the standard Open Source Office catalog.
Support: Provides tailored assistance for projects needing in-depth expertise.
Operational: Addresses the backlog of service requests.
Community: Strengthens ecosystem collaboration and best practices.
Cardano Summer of Code
Core Maintenance: Encourages students to work on essential open-source projects.
Support: Provides mentorship and structured project guidance. Operational: Funds six-month full-time work placements.
Community: Expands the contributor base and develops long-term maintainers.
Accelerator Program
Core Maintenance: Funds pilot programs across three accelerator stages, covering staffing, mentorship, materials, and participant stipends.
Support: Provides strategic guidance, business model mentoring, and commercialization readiness support to participating projects.
Operational: Develops a scalable Accelerator SaaS framework integrated into Intersect’s web domain to streamline operations and reduce long-term staffing needs.
Community: Connects projects with mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners, fostering ecosystem-wide growth and collaboration.
OSC Travel and Events
Core Maintenance: Supports OSC member participation at key events.
Support: Covers ticket, travel, and lodging expenses for committee members.
Operational: Ensures representation at open-source and blockchain conferences.
Community: Enhances outreach and public engagement.
Developer Advocates
Core Maintenance: Advocates for developers by addressing their needs and technical challenges.
Support: Guides new developers, creates educational content, and enhances ecosystem collaboration.
Operational: Ensures a smooth onboarding experience for developers across different regions.
Community: Strengthens developer relations by providing dedicated support in different geographic areas.
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