Summary
This proposal is to vote on the election of Long, Founder of Minswap, as a DRep representing the Minswap ecosystem in Cardano Governance.
Background
As the largest decentralized exchange on Cardano, Minswap sits at the center of the network’s on-chain economy, facilitating trading activity, liquidity provision, and token launches. Given the growing importance of governance in directing treasury resources and defining ecosystem priorities, it is essential that leading DeFi builders are represented in governance decision-making.
As the founder of Minswap, I nominate myself as a candidate for DRep. Having built through Cardano’s earliest infrastructure constraints and scaled Minswap into the network’s leading DEX, I seek to represent DeFi centric interests within Cardano governance.
I wrote before about how the Cardano treasury is unsustainable: but DeFi can save it. DeFi and DEXs in particular are the main drivers of on-chain activity for blockchains. If we want the Cardano treasury to be sustainable (and keep growing, not just spending), we need to bring in more DeFi users. Governance must focus on practical initiatives that generate real adoption, measurable activity, and long-term value for the ecosystem.
What drives me
Since discovering Cardano in 2020, I’ve been driven by its vision, principles, and community. Building Minswap from a Catalyst proposal into the largest DEX in the ecosystem required launching through Cardano’s earliest technical challenges.
These experiences shaped my conviction that real adoption comes from usable products, deep liquidity, and active markets. I believe treasury resources must prioritize initiatives that drive on-chain usage, economic sustainability, and competitive positioning for Cardano globally. You can read more about why I decided to become a DRep.
My delegation address
drep1yty2qpvmmsvk5jzcjctuxr8v5264cz5sr965ryygxj9ae5seg7gah
Principles for Voting Rationale
Focus on sustainable on-chain value and treasury returns: support proposals that generate transaction volume, liquidity, and fee activity that can ultimately flow back into the treasury.
Proven practice over unproven theory: prioritize initiatives with demonstrated adoption models rather than purely experimental or theoretical frameworks.
Increase Cardano competitiveness: evaluate governance decisions against external market benchmarks to ensure Cardano attracts users, builders, and capital.
Financial oversight: ensure treasury spending remains transparent, auditable, and accountable.
Lean operational structures: promote efficient fund allocation with minimal bureaucracy and clear deliverables.
Conclusion
This vote represents an opportunity to strengthen DeFi representation within Cardano Governance by electing a builder who has played a central role in driving on-chain activity and liquidity.
Voting Options (to be extracted for the onchain vote)