Author
Hongji Feng
Author
Hongji Feng
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Key Takeaways:
- Charles Hoskinson proposed converting $100M of ADA into stablecoins and Bitcoin.
- The plan seeks to address Cardano’s low stablecoin-to-TVL ratio.
- A sovereign-style fund structure and governance board are being considered.
Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano and CEO of Input Output Global, proposed a plan to convert $100 million worth of ADA from the protocol’s treasury into a blend of stablecoins and Bitcoin.
According to a video published by Hoskinson on June 13, Cardano’s current stablecoin-to-TVL ratio is lagging behind Ethereum and Solana, which exceed 100%. He argued that using a portion of the treasury to support stablecoin liquidity could strengthen Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem and attract broader participation.
Hoskinson Suggests Treasury Diversification
He suggested the converted funds could be allocated across existing assets within Cardano, such as stablecoins like USDA, USDM, and IiUSD, as well as BTC to support emerging Bitcoin DeFi products.
“ADA does not have a liquidity problem, so no proposal’s been pushed yet,” Hoskinson said, adding that the network’s daily trading volume would be sufficient to absorb the proposed sale over time through OTC and TWAP mechanisms. He dismissed concerns that such a transaction would depress the price of ADA.
The video introduced the idea of a sovereign-style fund structure for managing treasury assets. Hoskinson said this could involve the election of a governing board and partnerships with regulated Web3 asset managers to generate yield and reinvest proceeds into the ecosystem.
He emphasized the need to prepare Cardano’s treasury for multi-asset holdings, noting upcoming features such as partner chains and native token support.
“As we’re doing the post-mortem on the budget process, make some provisions in the Constitution for more granular treasury management on the portfolio allocation side,” he said.
Cardano Joins Broader Push for Multi-Asset Treasury Governance
Hoskinson said discussions are ongoing with DeFi projects and large token holders, with the goal of having a formal proposal in place before the Rare Evo conference later this year.
“I would argue we need to enhance the voting system as well,” said Hoskinson. “I think the time has come to have some form of anonymous ballot for certain voting rounds so that people, especially smaller people, can vote without fear of retaliation.”
Cardano is one of several networks exploring treasury diversification through multi-asset reserves and off-chain yield generation. These efforts follow the model of sovereign-style funds, where asset conversion and reallocation are managed to maintain spending capacity over time.
Some DeFi ecosystems are also beginning to introduce formal oversight structures for protocol funds. Proposals under review include elected boards, third-party asset managers, and cross-chain capital deployment, marking a shift in how on-chain treasuries are structured and governed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Cardano holds one of the largest protocol treasuries in crypto, with around 1.7 billion ADA. Unlike some competitors, it currently lacks a yield strategy or multi-asset diversification, which is what this proposal seeks to change.
Risks include market exposure to external assets, execution slippage, and potential backlash from stakeholders concerned about deviating from ADA-only holdings. Regulatory classification of stablecoins could also affect strategy.
If treasury allocations shift to non-ADA assets, and yield returns are reinvested differently, governance weight tied to ADA holdings might dilute unless explicitly addressed in the system design.
Projects like MakerDAO, Optimism, and Uniswap have begun exploring treasury diversification through RWAs, yield-bearing stablecoins, and partnerships with asset managers, but execution varies widely.
Integrating BTC liquidity could attract new users, tap into dormant capital, and complement stablecoin growth, especially if paired with cross-chain yield strategies and institutional-grade custodial support.
