Overview
The Cardano Constitution is the foundational governance document for the Cardano blockchain, establishing the principles, rights, and decision-making processes that enable decentralized on-chain governance. It defines how ADA holders participate in protocol decisions through a structured framework of representatives, committees, and transparent governance actions.
Published by the Cardano Foundation and ratified through on-chain governance, the Cardano Constitution formalizes the tricameral model introduced by CIP-1694. This model distributes governance authority across three bodies: Delegated Representatives (DReps), Stake Pool Operators (SPOs), and a Constitutional Committee (CC)1. Every governance action requires approval from at least two of these three bodies before it can be enacted2. The full constitution text is hosted on IPFS for immutable, verifiable access independent of any single hosting provider.
Key Features
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Tricameral governance structure. DReps, SPOs, and the Constitutional Committee each serve distinct roles in the governance process, with different voting thresholds applied depending on the type of governance action1.
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Participant rights framework. ADA holders can participate in governance by delegating voting power to DReps, registering as DReps themselves with a refundable deposit, or voting directly on proposals2.
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Blockchain guardrails. The Guardrails Appendix defines parameter boundaries that governance actions must respect, protecting network security and sustainability. Guardrails can be enforced on-chain via a Guardrails Script, and if an on-chain guardrail conflicts with the written appendix, the on-chain version prevails1.
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Seven governance action types. The constitution covers motions of no confidence, Constitutional Committee updates, constitutional amendments, hard fork initiations, protocol parameter changes, treasury withdrawals, and info actions — each with specified approval thresholds3.
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Full text accessibility. The complete constitution is published via IPFS, providing immutable access that can be independently verified. Previous versions are preserved alongside the current enacted text for historical reference1.
What to Expect
The cardano.org/constitution page presents the Cardano Constitution in a clean, navigable layout built on Docusaurus. Visitors find the full constitutional text organized by article, a ratification history table with links to both current and previous versions on IPFS, and direct access to the Guardrails Appendix. The page is available in multiple languages including English, German, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Spanish.
For those looking to participate in governance rather than simply read about it, GovTool provides the practical interface for DRep delegation, governance action submission, and direct voter registration. Intersect maintains the broader governance infrastructure and publishes updates on constitutional amendments and committee elections.
The Cardano Constitution is a reference document rather than an interactive application. It serves as the authoritative source for understanding the rules, rights, and processes that govern Cardano's decentralized decision-making. Readers interested in governance guides and practical participation resources will find this document provides the constitutional foundation that all governance activity builds upon4.
