Cardinal is a venture studio and consulting firm focused on blockchain, cryptography, and decentralized technologies. It develops custom applications and infrastructure, including its flagship project, Aleph Zero. Its expertise spans DeFi, DIDs, and privacy systems. ^[1]

Overview

Cardinal is a venture studio and consulting firm that develops blockchain, DeFi, decentralized identity (DID), and metaverse systems. It focuses on custom applications of the Aleph Zero blockchain and offers services in technical architecture, cryptography, software development, economic design, and project launch support.

The team includes engineers, mathematicians, marketers, and designers who work across FinTech, sustainability, healthcare, and cybersecurity sectors. Cardinal supports projects from concept to implementation, providing technical expertise, funding guidance, and access to the Aleph Zero ecosystem. ^[1]

Portfolio

Aleph Zero

Aleph Zero is a layer one blockchain developed by Cardinal, built on a peer-reviewed consensus protocol and integrating technologies like ZK-SNARKs and secure multiparty computation (sMPC). It is designed to offer fast finality, scalability, and privacy, to support a wide range of digital economy use cases across sectors, including business, government, and individual applications. ^[6]

Instytut Kosciuszki

The Instytut Kościuszki is a policy institute focusing on cybersecurity, technology governance, and combating disinformation, contributing to Poland’s development within the EU and NATO. Through research, events, and cross-sector collaboration, it works to strengthen digital resilience in Europe. Cardinal has partnered with the institute by supporting the CYBERSEC European Forum, which brings together public and private sector leaders to address key cybersecurity issues. ^[2]

Sovryn

Sovryn is a permissionless DeFi platform built on Bitcoin’s infrastructure, allowing users to lend, borrow, trade, and issue bitcoin-backed stablecoins without intermediaries. It operates on the Rootstock sidechain and BOB rollup, using RBTC—a 1:1 BTC-pegged token—for transactions. Cardinal contributed to Sovryn’s development by supporting its technical implementation and interface design, helping integrate multichain capabilities and privacy-preserving features. ^[3]

Common

Common is a decentralized exchange (DEX) designed to address two major challenges in DeFi: price inefficiency and lack of user privacy. It integrates a private order book, cross-chain liquidity aggregation, and zero-knowledge cryptography to provide efficient and private trading. The platform combines elements from centralized exchanges (CEXes) and decentralized systems to improve pricing and user experience. It supports features like private limit orders, batch processing to mitigate front-running, and a Dutch auction mechanism that adjusts prices dynamically to attract external liquidity. ^[7]

Coinbar

Coinbar Group is a blockchain advisory and private investment firm founded in 2013, with a team experienced in venture capital, asset management, and crypto project development. Cardinal contributed to the group’s branding by creating its visual identity. ^[4]

Prove AI

Prove AI is a management platform for overseeing AI models within organizations. Distributed ledger technology enables secure governance by tracking data access and enforcing usage controls to reduce risk and improve model reliability. Cardinal collaborated with Daniel Kane and the team behind Prove AI to co-author the Highway consensus protocol whitepaper. This work contributed to developing a consensus mechanism designed for high-performance blockchain systems. ^[5]

Partnerships

• Accelpoint
• Aleph Zero Foundation
• AWS Activate
• HR Hints
• Krakow Technology Park
• Polish Blockchain Association
• Swiss-Polish Blockchain Association
• 10 Clouds