Charles Hoskinson, Cardano (ADA) founder, has dropped a notable hint about what the ecosystem will work on soon. All indications point to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the ecosystem. Hoskinson hinted at this in an X post in response to a suggestion by community member Cardano Hieronymus.
AI-Powered smart contracts on horizon?
Cardano Hieronymus suggested that the blockchain should start “thinking full LLM deployment as L2/partnerchain on Cardano.”
This suggestion is for Cardano to integrate the Large Language Model (LLM) into its layer-2 ecosystem. This move of integrating AI could involve AI-powered dApp and smart contracts. Experts say such a move could drive network activity, transaction volume and price.
Additionally, more demand for Cardano’s ecosystem might increase ADA’s price. This is in addition to the potential for Cardano to become a hub for decentralized AI activities.
If this happens, Cardano could attract developers and funding to boost its market valuation. All these will ultimately positively impact ADA.
In a short reply, Hoskinson acknowledged the idea as a viable one. “Yep, we’ll work on it after midnight,” he stated.
However, from Hoskinson’s reply, the Cardano blockchain will only take on this significant project after the Midnight Network attains full deployment.
Yep, we’ll work on it after midnight
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) February 4, 2025
Midnight’s role in Cardano’s AI future
As per a U.Today report, the Cardano Midnight protocol has now been open to the public, allowing developers to work in a collaborative environment and experiment. This development would allow for innovation and contributions to improve the project.
Interestingly, developers who join as Midnight pioneers will gain an early lead in developing cutting-edge data protection technology.
Industry stakeholders say the update by Hoskinson is not surprising as, in June 2024, Cardano proposed a hybrid LLM strategy. The idea was to solve the hurdles related to decentralized LLM issues of scalability and data quality control.
The recent conversation sparked by Cardano Hieronymus might signal a move toward actualizing the idea.
