Se7en Labs: Daedalus Wallet Maintenance and Improvements 2026-2027

This Treasury Withdrawal funds Daedalus Wallet Maintenance and Improvements 2026–2027, delivered by Se7en Labs, Inc. Daedalus is Cardano's only full-node desktop wallet — it runs an embedded Cardano node and derives all wallet and governance data directly from the chain, with no third-party APIs or trusted backends. Because it participates in P2P networking and maintains its own local mempool, Daedalus transactions compete for block inclusion on equal footing with full-node participants, providing reliable submission even under high chain utilisation where lite wallets can fail for hours. Daedalus's security model is equally distinctive. Private keys are generated and stored on your own device and never transmitted to any external service. Because Daedalus is open-source under the Apache License 2.0, this is not a claim users must take on faith — anyone can audit the source code to verify that key handling works exactly as described. Se7en Labs actively works to ensure a positive user experience that balances the trade-offs inherent in running a full-node wallet. According to opt-in telemetry, Daedalus has approximately 4,000 monthly active users — though the true count is meaningfully higher, as privacy-conscious full-node users are the least likely to opt in. This is a time and materials engagement covering three areas: 1. **Protocol Maintenance** — Node upgrades, hard fork readiness (Leios, Peras, Nested Transactions), with a compatible release at least 2 weeks before every mainnet hard fork 2. **Ecosystem Expansion** — Keystone and Flex hardware wallet support, CIP-30 dApp connector, Japanese localisation 3. **User Support** — Responsive support for the Daedalus user base, with dedicated attention to the Japanese community and a commitment to keeping Daedalus fully translated for Japanese users IOG continues to support binary signing, ensuring cryptographic release authenticity as funding transitions to the treasury.

**Pillar 1: Infrastructure & Research Excellence (Primary)** The Cardano Vision & Strategy framework (ratified on-chain by DRep supermajority, January 2026) calls for Cardano to "keep Cardano secure, fast, and interoperable so it can host more economic activity." Daedalus is the only full-node desktop wallet in the ecosystem — every installation is a full Cardano node, contributing directly to the decentralization and resilience of the network. This proposal directly advances **I.2 (Security & Resilience)**, specifically the strategy's focus on *client diversity*: "Support additional full-node and light-client implementations with conformance testing — Better decentralization." Daedalus is the primary vehicle through which non-technical users run a full node. A maintained Daedalus is a maintained contribution to client diversity. If it falls behind on protocol compatibility, OS support, or security, those users have no alternative that preserves their standards for self-sovereignty. This proposal also supports **I.1 (Scalability & Interoperability)** by ensuring Daedalus ships updated node versions as Leios (CIP-0164) and Peras progress toward mainnet. Both are consensus protocol changes handled by the node — but a wallet running an incompatible node version cannot sync, meaning timely node upgrades are essential for Daedalus users to benefit from the scalability improvements the strategy depends on. **Pillar 2: Adoption & Utility (Secondary)** CIP-30 support advances **A.1 (High-Value Verticals)** — specifically DeFi access. Daedalus users are currently locked out of DeFi and dApp interactions unless they switch to a browser wallet. CIP-30 changes that, opening the full dApp ecosystem to full-node users without compromising their trust model. This also supports **A.3 (Developer Experience)**: "Incentivize the maintenance of core Cardano SDKs, frameworks, and infrastructure in line with open-source best practices." Daedalus is foundational open-source infrastructure. Funding its maintenance through the community treasury is exactly the model the strategy envisions. **Pillar 4: Community & Ecosystem Growth (Secondary)** The 2030 strategy identifies **C.2 (Global Engagement & Market Adoption)** with a specific focus on "localized adoption — target specific, high-impact markets (e.g., LATAM, Africa, East Asia) with localized partnerships and communication strategies." Japan is one of the most historically engaged Cardano communities in the world, and Daedalus has maintained full Japanese translation support since its earliest releases. This proposal continues that commitment, ensuring the Japanese-language interface remains current across all new features delivered during the contract period. ### KPI Alignment **Monthly Active Users (MAU) — Target: 1M by 2030** The strategy measures MAU as "unique addresses with transactions over a 30-day window." Every active Daedalus user contributes to this metric. Keeping Daedalus fast to sync (Mithril), compatible with modern hardware (Apple Silicon), and current on dependency versions lowers the barrier to running a full node, directly supporting MAU growth from the self-sovereign user cohort. CIP-30 support unlocks dApp interactions for this population, increasing their transaction frequency. **Monthly Transactions — Target: ≥27M submitted transactions/month by 2030** CIP-30 support routes dApp transaction volume through users' own full nodes. Daedalus users currently have no path to dApp activity without switching wallets — CIP-30 unlocks that entirely, contributing new transaction volume from a population that previously had none. **Alternative Full Node Clients — Target: ≥2 live, spec-conformant** The strategy explicitly tracks this under operational resilience. While Daedalus is a wallet rather than a consensus node, it is the primary mechanism through which non-technical users run a full Cardano node. Maintaining Daedalus directly supports the ecosystem's full-node footprint and the decentralization targets the strategy depends on. **Uptime / Protocol Stability — Target: 99.98% uptime** Shipping a compatible Daedalus release before each hard fork keeps users online through protocol transitions rather than forcing them offline. **Hardware Wallet Coverage** Supporting newer hardware wallet models grows the population of security-conscious ADA holders who can use Daedalus without compromising their signing security.

### Strategic Pillar Alignment | Pillar | Alignment | |---|---| | I.1 Scalability & Interoperability | Timely node upgrades for Leios, Peras, and Nested Transactions | | I.2 Security & Resilience | Client diversity; every Daedalus install is a full Cardano node | | A.1 High-Value Verticals | CIP-30 unlocks DeFi and dApp access for full-node users | | A.3 Developer Experience | Maintenance of foundational open-source infrastructure | | C.2 Global Engagement | Japanese localisation and community support maintained | ### Nature of This Proposal Daedalus is free and open-source software released under the Apache License 2.0. Se7en Labs does not monetize Daedalus usage and captures no customer relationships, subscription revenue, token value, or IP exclusivity from this work. All funded outputs — source code, build tooling, documentation, and release artifacts — are public assets in perpetuity, forkable by anyone under the Apache 2.0 license. This proposal is a pure public good grant: the treasury is funding maintenance of community infrastructure, not subsidizing a private business expansion. Open-source auditability is especially important for a wallet. Any wallet can claim not to exfiltrate keys; only an open-source wallet can prove it. The Apache 2.0 license ensures this auditability is permanent: no future license change can prevent the community from inspecting, forking, or continuing the software independently. A treasury-funded wallet under a permissive open-source license is a public good in the strongest sense — the community owns it regardless of what happens to any particular vendor. ### Track Record **About Se7en Labs** Se7en Labs is a Cardano-native software company. Founding members launched DripDropz in 2022 — the token distribution platform that has delivered community token drops every epoch since launch. Members contributed to the Hydra Doom demonstration and built a live Hydra event platform deployed at Rare Evo, Token 2049, Cardano Summit Berlin, and Nuluna 2025. Se7en Labs members served as chair and vice-chair of the Cardano Product Committee, leading the process that produced the Cardano Vision and Strategy framework — ratified on-chain by a DRep supermajority in January 2026. **Daedalus Delivery Record** The team assumed responsibility for Daedalus under an IOG contract in January 2026. Shipped since then: - **Mithril Snapshot Bootstrap**: Full Mithril integration for fast initial sync — 3-step UX, storage management, fallback flows, E2E test coverage, cross-platform installer hardening across Windows and macOS - **UTxO-HD / LSM Backend**: Integrated cardano-node 10.7.1 with the LSM storage backend, preparing users for Cardano's on-disk UTXO model - **Apple Silicon (aarch64)**: First native aarch64 Darwin builds with auto-detection in the updater; existing users migrate transparently - **`drt` Release CLI**: Purpose-built release toolchain replacing Buildkite scripts — Apple notarization via `xcrun notarytool`, parallelized signing, internal Windows binary signing before NSIS packaging, hash verification - **Nix Build Modernization**: Migrated to flake-parts, upgraded to nixpkgs-25.11, removed legacy MacInstaller.hs, migrated CI from Buildkite to Hydra + `drt` In progress: DRep Selection Dashboard, Ouroboros Genesis support, hardware wallet support for newer devices, Electron upgrade (17 major versions; resolving cross-platform native module complexity), and partial Mithril sync (allowing Daedalus to begin syncing from a Mithril snapshot mid-chain rather than requiring a full resync). **Proven Capabilities** The team spans Haskell/cardano-node integration, Electron/React frontend, Nix build systems, release engineering, and QA — the full breadth needed for Daedalus's complexity. Team members have direct experience with cardano-node and the on-chain governance stack. The team inherited a codebase unable to produce a release, performed foundational Nix refactoring, and shipped Daedalus 8.0 and 11.0 within the IOG contract period. Daedalus 11.0 was the first wallet capable of crossing the node 11.0 hard fork. The ongoing IOG binary signing arrangement demonstrates a mature working relationship preserving release security through the funding transition. The team has been operating under an IOG contract for Daedalus maintenance since January 2026, closing August 31, 2026. Se7en Labs has not received ada from the Cardano Treasury within the last 24 months. ### Scope of Work This work covers all maintenance and development required to keep Daedalus functional, secure, and compatible with the evolving Cardano protocol throughout the contract year. **Node & Wallet Backend Currency** — Integrate cardano-node and cardano-wallet releases as shipped; maintain Nix build infrastructure, dependency updates, security patches, and platform compatibility. **Security & Dependency Maintenance** — Keep Electron, Node.js, and all wallet-adjacent dependencies current to address known vulnerabilities as they are disclosed. Maintain a reproducible Nix build pipeline so every release can be independently verified by anyone. Ensure key generation, storage, and signing code remains auditable, unchanged, and never transmitted off-device — preserving the core security guarantee that Daedalus's users depend on. **Hard Fork Integration** — All Daedalus changes required for each upcoming hard fork, with testnet verification and a compatible stable release at least 2 weeks before mainnet activation. **Leios, Peras & Nested Transactions Readiness** — Ship compatible node versions as these protocols progress toward mainnet; monitor for user-facing UX impacts; maintain compatibility ahead of each testnet/mainnet activation. **Binary Signing Continuity** — Maintain the IOG signing arrangement for all official releases throughout the contract period. CI infrastructure and signing costs are covered under the approved Cardano Node Maintenance budget. **Platform & Localisation** — All platforms maintained: Windows, macOS x86_64, macOS aarch64, Linux. Full Japanese translation across all new features. **Hardware Wallet Support** — Add support for Keystone and Flex, and other newer hardware wallet models as they emerge, expanding the population of security-conscious ADA holders who can use Daedalus with hardware wallet protection. **CIP-30 dApp Connector** — Implement CIP-30 within Daedalus, enabling compatible dApps to connect to a user's full-node wallet without switching to a browser wallet. **User-Facing CIP Implementations** — Track and implement user-facing CIPs finalized during the contract period (token standards, metadata, transaction capabilities). **User Support** — Responsive support for the Daedalus user base across GitHub, community forums, and direct channels. The Japanese community receives first-class support alongside English speakers; Daedalus will remain fully translated into Japanese throughout the contract period and across every feature shipped. **Architecture Assessment** — Scoped investigation into a potential Daedalus architecture rewrite; assessment published regardless of outcome. ### Expected Value Users who run Daedalus because they don't trust Lite wallets are particularly exposed if Daedalus falls behind on protocol compatibility. A Lite wallet user can switch backends during a hard fork; a Daedalus user running an incompatible version cannot sync the chain at all. Timely protocol support is existential for this user base. Cardano is in its most protocol-intensive period since CIP-1694, with the intra-era hard fork, Leios, Peras, and Nested Transactions all on the horizon. Each requires Daedalus to ship an updated node version. Full-node users are currently locked out of the dApp ecosystem — any dApp interaction requires switching to a browser wallet, undermining the self-sovereignty model. CIP-30 closes this gap entirely. The binary signing arrangement with IOG preserves years of user trust built through consistently signed releases. Maintaining it through the funding transition is the responsible approach. ### Risk Register | Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation | |---|---|---|---| | ADA/USD exchange rate volatility | High | High | ADA received is converted promptly to USD-backed stablecoins; labor costs are denominated in USD and invoiced at spot rate, capping exposure to price swings during the contract period | | cardano-node upstream API changes | Medium | High | T&M engagement absorbs scope changes; team has an established working relationship with upstream IOG engineers providing early visibility into breaking changes | | Leios/Peras complexity underestimate | Medium | Medium | T&M removes fixed-price risk; the engagement scales to actual complexity rather than an estimate made before specifications are final | | Platform dependency changes (Apple notarization policy, Windows signing infrastructure) | Low | High | IOG binary signing arrangement is maintained throughout; `drt` toolchain is purpose-built and not dependent on third-party CI services that could change terms | | Team continuity over 12-month contract | Low | High | Core team members are founding members of Se7en Labs with multi-year Cardano track records; key processes are documented in the `drt` toolchain and Nix build infrastructure | ### Success Metrics - Compatible release available at least 2 weeks before each mainnet hard fork; development builds on DijkstraNet throughout testing - cardano-node no more than 2 major versions behind mainnet recommended at any time - 100% of official releases cryptographically signed - All four platform builds passing CI in every stable release - Critical security issues addressed in a timely manner - Keystone and Flex supported in a stable release within contract period - CIP-30 connector implemented and available in a stable release - User support maintained throughout the contract period; Japanese users receive responses in Japanese - Full Japanese translation current across all features shipped during the contract year - Architecture assessment published by Q3 2027 All release-timing and version-currency metrics are independently verifiable from public GitHub repositories and the Cardano mainnet chain without reliance on applicant self-reporting. ### Milestones #### Hard Fork Integration (Duration: 6 weeks) **Deliverables:** - All Daedalus changes for hard fork compatibility completed - Development builds provided on relevant testnet throughout testing - Compatible stable release published at least 2 weeks before mainnet hard fork activation **Acceptance Criteria:** - Compatible stable release available at least 2 weeks before mainnet activation - Daedalus fully functional post-hard-fork across all platforms #### Ongoing Maintenance (Duration: 52 weeks) **Deliverables:** - Continuous node and wallet backend updates integrated as released - All releases signed per the IOG binary signing arrangement - Full Japanese translation coverage across all new features - CI maintained across all platform targets **Acceptance Criteria:** - Compatible stable release available at least 2 weeks before each mainnet hard fork - All releases carry valid signatures - All platform targets maintained throughout the contract year #### Leios/Peras Readiness (Duration: 26 weeks) **Deliverables:** - Daedalus running a Leios/Peras compatible node version ahead of any testnet or mainnet activation - Assessment of user-facing UX impacts with adjustments shipped as needed **Acceptance Criteria:** - Compatible node version shipped and verified on testnet before mainnet - No disruption to Daedalus users during protocol transition #### Hardware Wallet Support (Duration: 12 weeks) **Deliverables:** - Support for Keystone and Flex shipped in a stable release, plus additional newer hardware wallet models as they emerge during the contract period **Acceptance Criteria:** - Keystone and Flex functional in QA testing - No regression in existing hardware wallet support (Ledger Nano, Trezor) #### CIP-30 dApp Connector (Duration: 20 weeks) **Deliverables:** - CIP-30 (Cardano dApp-Wallet Web Bridge) implementation within Daedalus - Verified interoperability with the CIP-30 dApp ecosystem - User documentation for connecting dApps to Daedalus **Acceptance Criteria:** - CIP-30 connector available in a stable release - Verified working with CIP-30 compatible dApps - No external API dependency introduced #### User Support (Duration: 52 weeks) **Deliverables:** - Ongoing support for Daedalus users via GitHub issues, community forums, and direct channels throughout the contract period - Japanese-language support for Japanese users; full Japanese translation maintained across all features shipped during the contract year **Acceptance Criteria:** - Support channels actively monitored and responded to throughout the contract period - All new features ship with complete Japanese translation #### Architecture Assessment (Duration: 8 weeks) **Deliverables:** - Architecture assessment covering current state, options, and resource estimates with a clear recommendation - If rewrite initiated: foundational implementation on development branch **Acceptance Criteria:** - Assessment published publicly with clear recommendation and rationale ### Net Change Limit Compliance The requested amount does not at time of submission, on its own or in aggregate, breach the applicable [350M Net Change Limit](https://explorer.cardano.org/governance-action/gov_action1m3xx08yv788vfxqh6nfvrjtvmqpwezsy0ggaczctkyjmttc2wmxsq4jsr7q) covering Epoch 613 to Epoch 713. In accordance with the guardrail TREASURY-02a, this withdrawal does not exceed the NCL at the moment of submission. ### Audit & Oversight Audit and oversight costs are included within the overhead applied to this proposal. The Intersect administration fee covers administrative oversight and is reflected within the cost of this proposal. Independent oversight will be provided through Intersect and technically capable third-party, including reporting obligations and milestone-based disbursement controls. ### Prior Treasury Funding Disclosure Se7en Labs has not received ada from the Cardano Treasury within the last 24 months. The team has operated under a direct IOG contract for Daedalus maintenance since January 2026, closing August 31, 2026. ### Budget Summary The minimum team required to keep Daedalus maintained — node upgrades, hard fork readiness, platform support, release engineering — is not significantly smaller or cheaper than the team needed to also ship lightweight feature work. The development items in this proposal (hardware wallet support, CIP-30 connector, architecture assessment) are comparatively low-cost additions on top of a team that must exist anyway. The bulk of this proposal is maintenance; the features come largely for free. - **Team** | Resources (Labor) | 1,666,667 ADA: Team effort covering all protocol maintenance and ecosystem improvements: node/wallet integration, hard fork support, hardware wallet support, CIP-30 dApp connector implementation, architecture assessment, build infrastructure, platform maintenance, and release engineering. CI infrastructure and binary signing costs are covered under the approved Cardano Node Maintenance budget. Any unspent labor budget at contract close is returned to the treasury. - **Test Hardware** | Equipment | 33,333 ADA: As a small team taking on a multi-platform product, we need to acquire and maintain test devices — primarily macOS laptops covering both x86_64 and aarch64, and hardware wallets representing the range of devices Daedalus supports — to ensure every release is verified on real hardware before shipping. Any unspent hardware budget is returned to the treasury. - **Financial Audit** | Audit | 33,333 ADA: Independent financial audit of funds received and expended under this proposal. Any unspent audit budget is returned to the treasury. | Work Package | Total (ADA) | |---|---| | Maintenance and Improvements | 1,666,667 | | Test Hardware | 33,333 | | Financial Audit | 33,333 | | Intersect Budget Administration fee | 52,000 | | **Total** | **1,785,333** | ### Administration and Oversight Intersect serves as the administrator and independent milestone verifier for this proposal, in accordance with Article II.7.5 of the Cardano Constitution. Intersect is responsible for monitoring how funds are used, independently confirming that acceptance criteria are met, and authorizing disbursements. As a time and materials engagement, funds are disbursed monthly against verified work. Funds received from the treasury withdrawal will be held by Intersect in a dedicated account auditable by the Cardano Community, delegated to the predefined abstain voting option, prior to monthly disbursement to Se7en Labs. ### Intersect Budget Management Tooling To administrate treasury funds on-chain, Intersect will utilize the treasury management smart contract framework developed by Sundae Labs. A new instance of these smart contracts has been deployed for 2026, mirroring the contracts from the 2025 budget cycle. - The 2026 Treasury Reserve Smart Contract stake address: `stake1784sdxt6jjennmstphgdu7l7c2scf5d02a6cve2dgn5s2kq5u3j9v` - The 2026 Treasury Reserve Smart Contract payment address: `addr1x84sdxt6jjennmstphgdu7l7c2scf5d02a6cve2dgn5s2k8tq6vh499n88hqkrwsmealas4psng674m4sej5638fq4vqmxs59w` - The 2026 Project Specific Smart Contract payment address: `addr1x9d6k9z6t6fvsetj2djmerargk475lef9gfvshy4rwh4h7jm4v295h5jepjhy5m9hj86x3dtafljj2sjepwf2xa0t0aq048cay` #### Specifics Intersect will utilize a single Treasury Reserve Smart Contract (TRSC), with one Project-Specific Smart Contract (PSSC). Intersect's management consists of five 'admin' and three Intersect 'leadership' roles. An Oversight Committee consisting of six external, independent third-party entities will provide checks and balances on Intersect, and safeguard against errors and unilateral control. The administration of both TRSC and PSSC will be managed by Intersect, with external oversight on certain actions from the Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee consists of Sundae Labs, Cardano Foundation, Dquadrant, NMKR, Sundial and Eternl. Their role is to independently verify key administrative actions using on-chain logic, ensuring accuracy and consistency without exercising discretion over governance decisions. For all details on Intersect's configuration please see the [**Smart Contract Guide**](https://admin-services.docs.intersectmbo.org/governance/smart-contracts) on the knowledgebase. The high level permissions are as follows: * TRSC Fund and PSSC Modify * Two of the five Intersect admins, two of the six trusted entities and one of the three Intersect leadership sign-off must authorize * TRSC Disburse * Two of five Intersect admins, three of six trusted entities and two of three Intersect leadership sign-off must authorize * TRSC Pause and Resume * Two of five Intersect admins, and one of three Intersect leadership sign-off must authorize * TRSC Sweep * One of five Intersect admins, and one of three Intersect leadership sign-off must authorize * TRSC Reorganize * Two of five Intersect admins and three of six trusted entities must authorize #### Processes Upon enactment of this governance action, funding for this project will be directed into the TRSC's stake address. All instances of TRSC and PSSC can not be staked with a SPO and are delegated to the auto-abstain predefined DRep. From here funds will be withdrawn into a UTxO remaining at the TRSC payment address. When the Legal contract is prepared and the vendor is ready, funding for this project will be transferred using the Fund action to the PSSC. All milestones will be outlined within the metadata. A dashboard is available ([treasury.sundae.fi](https://treasury.sundae.fi/budgets/51486a2f1496d4d3a688a9b111971aa9b731ed045d900b601345ca4e)) for the community to audit the TRSC or PSSC and track metrics related to this withdrawn ada as well as being immutably verifiable on chain.