Hey Cardanians! Welcome aboard the Weekly Cardano Digest #24!!

We've filtered through all the noise to distill crucial updates into a breezy, 5-minute read. No need for you to sift through endless info — we've got you covered. Ready to delve into this week's top Cardano news? Let’s dive in.

Here are the topics of the week:

• Project Catalyst latest funding round includes proposals with companies like FC Barcelona

• Intersect joins the Hyperledger Foundation and Linux Foundation

• Nuvola Digital partners with Cornucopias

• EMURGO announces additional funding round in Maestro

• Weekly Development Report IOG

• & More!

This week on Cardano…

Project Catalyst latest funding round allows proposals alongside companies outside the Cardano ecosystem

In Project Catalyst’s latest funding round, certain proposals highlighted a milestone that this round has seen since the introduction of a new category that allows team leaders to propose projects together with companies outside of the Cardano ecosystem.

Since Fund 12 opened applications, a project called Cardano Partners and Real World Integrations submitted a proposal alongside FC Barcelona that would use Web 3 infrastructure to onboard members, train them to manage tasks, encourage them to become contributors, and build their reputation within the football club’s fan community.

The proposal highlights new types of projects that this category invites to the table, given that it offers the opportunity for proponents to create alliances with companies from different business sectors to further advance in the achievement of a decentralized governance using blockchain technology. Read More

Intersect joins the Hyperledger Foundation and Linux Foundation

Intersect, a member-based organization dedicated to the Cardano ecosystem, announced its membership in the Hyperledger Foundation and Linux Foundation during the Consensus event in Austin, Texas. This move strengthens Intersect's commitment to open-source development for Cardano.

By joining Hyperledger, Intersect gains access to a global pool of expertise and resources. This collaboration positions Intersect at the forefront of open-source blockchain innovation, alongside industry leaders. It also strengthens efforts to develop interoperable blockchain technologies across different ecosystems. 

Next Steps

Looking ahead, Intersect plans to leverage learnings from Hyperledger and internal initiatives to further its open-source strategy. A key part of this strategy involves auditing all Intersect-maintained Cardano projects by the end of 2024. This audit will assess project health and guide future development efforts within Intersect and Cardano's core repositories. Additionally, collaboration with Hyperledger members opens doors for joint contributions to wider blockchain projects, fostering innovation across the open-source landscape. Read More

Nuvola Digital partners with Cornucopias

Nuvola Digital, a network expansion protocol focused on decentralized storage and computing, has announced a partnership with Cornucopias, a large-scale, open-world MMO game in development. Nuvola's technology utilizes a crowd-sharing model to democratize access to decentralized resources, making it easier for anyone to participate without needing technical expertise.

Nuvola's robust infrastructure will be crucial for Cornucopias' back-end operations, ensuring seamless gameplay for users worldwide. This partnership will also allow Nuvola token holders to earn rewards from the Cornucopias ecosystem.

What is Cornucopias?

In Cornucopias there is a sky-based world where players can explore different floating islands, each with their own unique environments and communities. In these domes, players control their own destiny, crafting, trading, racing, and engaging in different activities. Read More

EMURGO announces additional funding round in Maestro

EMURGO, a founding entity of the Cardano blockchain, announced additional funding for Maestro, a comprehensive Web3 platform designed to empower entrepreneurs and developers to build and launch decentralized applications (dApps) on unspent transaction output (UTxO) blockchains like Cardano.

This investment fuels Maestro's growth and empowers developers with:

• Powerful Data APIs & Developer Tools: Simplify complex blockchain infrastructure, letting developers focus on creating amazing dApps.

• Streamlined Development Workflow: Build and launch dApps faster with Maestro's intuitive tools and features.

• Suite of Valuable Services:

  • Real-time transaction monitoring

  • On-chain event notifications

  • Reliable DEX prices

  • Pre-built smart contracts

EMURGO’s funding will enable Maestro to develop innovative products for its users and accelerate its business growth to drive wider Cardano adoption and blockchain innovation. Read More

Weekly Development Report by IOG

Interesting Stories:

1. Nuvola Digital is collaborating with new partners IAGON, Orcfax, Minutes Network, and Cornucopias

2. Metera Protocol and Xerberus announced a partnership to create a safer approach to investing on the Cardano blockchain

🎊 A Message from Lucas 🎊

Hello everyone! Something really exciting happened this week. Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, retweeted a tweet from Charles Hoskinson, co-founder of the Cardano blockchain, where he says that Argentina has some of the brightest minds in this industry and the development of future blockchain technology. I think it’s safe to say he was referring to us, and it’s so exciting to see hard work paying off.

In other news, the Cardano community keeps growing in Argentina! I wanted to mention “Cardano LATAM Builders: Pitching Competition,” an event coming up that will be taking place next Saturday, June 8th, starting at 8:30AM at the National Technological University here in Buenos Aires.

Participants will compete for a $2,000 (USD) reward by presenting their ideas about blockchain technology and implementation in front of a jury of experts in the industry. If you’d like to attend, please don’t forget to register! For more information on the event and to sign up, please click on the following link:

Can’t wait to see you there!

–Lucas Macchiavelli