April 20 2026
Attendees:
Name
Attendance
Role
Voting Seat (Y/N)
Jack Briggs
Yes
Executive Director
Y
Nick Cook
No
Director - Operations (Interim)
Y
Sheldon Hunt
No
Community Member Seat
Y
Fred Tanaka
Yes
Community Member Seat
Y
Kristijan Kowalsky
Yes
Community Member Seat
Y
Jose Miguel de Gamboa
Yes
Community Member Seat
Y
Georg Link
No
OSC Chair
Y
Samuel Leathers
Yes
Product Chair
Y
Maureen Wepngogn
Yes
MCC Chair
Y
Megan Hess
Yes
CBC Chair
Y
Kevin Hammond
Yes
TSC Chair
Y
Tim Harrison
No
GMC Chair
Y
Nicolas Cerny
Yes
CCC Chair
Y
Lorenzo Bruno
Yes
Head of Product & Membership
N
Bosko Majdanac
Yes
Secretary of TSC
N
Abhik Nag
No
Secretary of MCC
N
Lloyd Duhon
Yes
Secretary of Budget Committee
N
Larisa Mcfarlane
Yes
Head of Ecosystem & Community
N
Terence McCutcheon
Yes
Secretary of OSC
N
Lara Bonasorte
Yes
Secretary of GMC
N
Thomas Lindseth
No
Secretary of CCC
Additional Attendees:
Ken-Erik Ølmheim - Vice Chair of Civics
Thiago Nunes - Observer
Agenda:
Committee Updates
Committee Elections
Intersect budget proposal
Committees Reward
ISC Voting Seats discussion
Discussion/Actions
1. Opening & Agenda
The meeting opened with attendance confirmation and quorum established. The agenda included committee updates, an update on committee elections, a walkthrough of the Intersect budget proposal, and discussions on committee rewards and ISC voting seat structure. Due to time constraints, some topics were deferred for follow-up.
2. Committee Updates
Technical Steering Committee (TSC) reported strong progress toward the Van Rossum hard fork, with node version 10.7.1 resolving prior performance issues and potentially improving performance relative to the current mainnet version. The Plutus cost model update is now live on preview and progressing toward mainnet, with DApp compatibility identified as a key risk area requiring active engagement. Work has also begun on defining scope for the next ledger era (“Dystra”), with plans to involve DReps in prioritization.
Civics Committee has entered the user acceptance testing phase for the constitutional amendment process tooling, with strong progress reported. The committee is also supporting the upcoming Constitutional Committee elections, including planned community engagement (X Space). Budget discussions are ongoing, with emphasis placed on ensuring alignment and commitment rather than submitting proposals without clear purpose.
Budget Committee continues development of its proposal, focusing on defining scope and responsibilities (RACI) and aligning with the Intersect proposal to avoid duplication. It was also confirmed that the budget submission platform is live, with the first proposal successfully submitted, validating system readiness.
Growth & Marketing Committee (GMC) provided updates asynchronously (shared in chat), continuing work aligned with its strategic framework approach.
3. Committee Elections Update
The committee application phase closed with 105 applications (102 valid after validation adjustments). Voting has now opened and will run for the coming weeks.
Key points:
This is the first election implementing two-year terms, increasing its importance
Improvements in the voting interface include candidate participation data and voter transparency (who has voted)
Clarifications were provided on eligibility requirements, including the need for either 3-month membership or identity verification
It was also noted that some candidates were excluded due to already holding active seats, highlighting a need for improved validation in future application flows.
4. Intersect Budget Proposal (Walkthrough & Discussion)
Intersect presented its 2026 budget proposal, structured into three work packages:
Work Package 1: Core Operations
Covers operational running of Intersect and Cardano Development Holdings, including compliance, infrastructure, and committee support. Estimated cost: ~$1.5M
Work Package 2: Technical Coordination & Stewardship
Largest component, focused on:
Network security (bug bounty, incident response, security tooling)
Release stewardship and multi-contributor node management
Technical coordination across ecosystem stakeholders
Infrastructure and repository management
Estimated cost: Majority of total budget (~70%)
Work Package 3: Critical Process Reserve
A small reserve for unplanned but necessary coordination activities (e.g., elections or urgent governance processes). Estimated cost: ~$150K
Key Changes & Context
Total budget request reduced to ~$6.35M (down from ~$7.9M in 2025)
Introduction of a separate 3% administration fee model, removing administration costs from the core budget
Increased focus on technical coordination as a critical ecosystem function
Budget assumptions based on $0.25 ADA price, with commitment to return unused funds
Discussion Points
Need for stronger justification of cost structure and resource assumptions
Importance of avoiding duplication with committee proposals (e.g., TSC overlap)
Clarification that the budget process itself should be explicitly reflected, given its reliance on Intersect operational delivery
Alignment across ecosystem actors (IOG, CF, EMURGO) is ongoing and integrated into execution
5. Budget Process & Proposal Interaction
Guidance was provided on how committees should engage with proposals:
Individuals can comment freely
Committee-level feedback should be agreed collectively and submitted via secretaries
Need for clearer guidelines to ensure objective and consistent evaluation
This will be formalized through additional guidance for committees.
6. Committee Rewards (Next Steps)
It was proposed to organize a dedicated workshop session to review the committee rewards policy, including:
Effectiveness of rewards in driving participation and outcomes
Feedback on current structure and perceived value
Consideration of future adjustments
This aligns with the requirement for annual review of the policy.
It was also noted that:
Contribution summaries are being collected but not yet publicly visible
This visibility and usage will be included in the upcoming policy review discussion
7. Governance & Process Updates
A new public ISC Discord channel has been created to improve transparency and allow community interaction with ISC members
Progress is ongoing on consolidating the code of conduct and complaint handling framework, currently spread across multiple documents, into a clearer and more actionable process
8. Deferred Topics
Due to time constraints, the following were deferred:
Review and potential update of ISC voting seat structure
Full discussion on committee rewards policy changes
9. Actions & Next Steps
Incorporate feedback into budget proposal (clarity, justification, scope alignment)
Schedule committee rewards policy workshop
Review ISC voting seat structure in next session
Review updated code of conduct and complaint process once consolidated
Continue refining proposals and align with Intersect budget to avoid duplication
Last updated