Cardano Foundation and Draper Dragon Launch $80M Ecosystem Fund to Scale Global Adoption | Partner Pulse

The Cardano Foundation, in collaboration with Draper Dragon and Draper University, has proposed the Cardano x Draper Dragon Ecosystem Fund (DDC Fund), an $80 million initiative designed to accelerate global adoption of Cardano and return capital and upside to the Cardano Treasury.

The DDC Fund will operate over at least six years and focus on building real-world utility, sustainable on-chain revenue, and enterprise-grade infrastructure. Capital will be deployed across three pillars: Direct Investments in high-potential teams from post-accelerator to Pre-A stage; Growth Capital to expand ecosystem usage through market access, liquidity, and technical support; and Educational Programs to strengthen the developer and founder pipeline via accelerators and hacker residencies.

Managed by Draper Dragon, the fund targets venture-style returns benchmarked to institutional crypto VC standards while prioritizing measurable ecosystem outcomes, including increases in TVL, on-chain activity, and developer participation. A dedicated SPV will represent the Treasury as a limited partner to ensure transparency and the return of capital and profits to the community.

Subject to governance approval, the Treasury would contribute up to $75 million in tranches over the fund’s term, with an additional $5 million sought from strategic external partners. The proposal includes public reporting, a performance dashboard, and regular AMAs to keep the community informed.

Community feedback is open through January 20, 2026, after which the proposal will be submitted to mainnet governance. Two joint AMAs with the Cardano Foundation and Draper Dragon teams are scheduled for January 19, 2026.