Charles Hoskinson, creator of Cardano and CEO of IOHK, commented on the launch of the community association PRAGMA.
In an X-statement op April 22ndHoskinson praised PRAGMA for supporting Cardano-related projects, noting that “multiple customers and a diverse and resilient ecosystem” are essential for Cardano.
He further encouraged the community, stating:
“I’m excited to see groups coming together to build these clients and projects.”
Hoskinson said he was unaware of PRAGMA until recently and has not formally met with the group on several issues. He added that PRAGMA “will not accelerate feature delivery” but will add resilience and a “second set of eyes” to Cardano’s formal specifications.
Supporting the Cardano ecosystem
The Cardano Foundation announced PRAGMA on April 22nddescribing the initiative as a non-profit, open-source association focused on blockchain software development.
The association will not act as a financing platform. It requires participants to seek funding elsewhere – an approach it says will ensure long-term success.
The new association includes the Cardano Foundation and four other members: Blink Labs, dcSpark, Sundae Labs and TxPipe.
PRAGMA distinguishes itself from Intersect, an existing Cardano member organization. PRAGMA’s official website explains that Intersect is intended to act as the governing entity of Cardano and not as an open source software development initiative.
PRAGMA nonetheless called the two initiatives “complementary efforts” that could ultimately “work hand in hand.”
Two projects receive initial support
PRAGMA plans to help the Cardano ecosystem by hosting and supporting existing projects, promoting the development of new tools and acting as a ‘home’ for blockchain projects.
In the first phase, PRAGMA will focus on just two projects. The first is a Rust-based node for Cardano called Amaru. The second is a smart contract platform for Cardano called Aiken.
By 2025, PRAGMA aims to open membership to selected members of the Cardano ecosystem. Later, it plans to open up to external blockchain ecosystems, meaning the association’s scope is not limited to the Cardano blockchain.