Advertisement Banner

Cardano’s Vision for a Unique Digital Identity

Announced on October 21, 2025, the Foundation plans to submit its applications in the first quarter of 2026, funding this endeavor exclusively with its resources, separate from the Cardano Treasury. The Foundation’s objective in registering the .ada and .cardano gTLDs is to secure the network’s identity and reduce the risk of brand misuse. This move positions Cardano among a select group of blockchain ecosystems managing their own namespace, instead of relying on external registrars or Web3-specific naming services.

Strategic and Defensive Implications

Securing these domains could facilitate a seamless integration of identity and interoperability features that bridge Web2 and Web3 technologies. If successful, these domains would operate similarly to other gTLDs, allowing ecosystem stakeholders to register names such as “ecosystem.ada” or “project.cardano.” The Foundation emphasizes that this initiative will enhance product-level integrations, including simplified wallet addresses and decentralized identity solutions like Veridian. Furthermore, active collaborations with Ada Handles and Handshake could lead to the development of human-readable identifiers linked to blockchain credentials and other digital endpoints.

Comprehensive Planning and Community Involvement

The Cardano Foundation has assembled a cross-functional team, including community experts, to shape this plan and evaluate vendors for both the application process and subsequent registry management. A Community Advisory Group is proposed to oversee policy and development, with a commitment to transparency through regular operational reports. Financially, the Foundation outlines an estimated $700,000 for one-time application costs and $350,000 annually for operational expenses. Revenue from domain sales is expected to offset variable costs.

Community Engagement and Governance

To gather community sentiment and strengthen its application, the Foundation has initiated an “Info Action” for community voting, urging stakeholders to support the measure. This community endorsement could enhance the application’s credibility in ICANN’s review process. Despite the strategic advantages, the proposal has sparked debate within the Cardano community, with some members expressing concerns about governance and influence concentration.