The Cardano Constitution imposes a minimum of seven members to take governance actions.
Starting November 25, Cardano will have 45 days to complete the CC and resume its governance.
The Cardano network is facing a challenge to its governance system with the announcement of the departure of one of the seven members of the Constitutional Committee (CC, a group tasked with reviewing the network’s rules).
The Cardano Atlantic Council (CAC), a six-person team that currently makes up the CC, revealed its retirement from this role. Departure was scheduled for November 25, 2025.
As explained by CriptoNoticias, that Committee is part of the tricameral system that makes up the governance of Cardano, imposed in the Constitution approved by the community in December 2024. Therefore, the withdrawal of the CAC marks the closure of the first official government of the network.
According to the norms of that Constitution, the CC requires at least seven members to approve decisions such as the use of funds, settings or network updates.
Therefore, with the reduction from the exit of the CAC, governance votes will stoplimiting the network’s ability to advance its projects.
Why will CAC withdraw from Cardano governance?
The reason for the withdrawal of the CAC arises from a proposal presented by themselves to the Cardano community that is unlikely to prosper according to their predictions.
That initiative seeks that the members of the CC received 1 million ADA (Cardano’s currency) as compensation for their work.
At the time of this article, the vote, which will close on November 20, does not reach the necessary support from the so-called DReps (Representatives of ADA Holders), nor by the SPO (Staking Pool Operators), nor the rest of the participants of the Constitutional Committee.
This insufficient support is what led the CAC to abandon its position, interpreting this lack of consensus as a signal to end its participation.
Implications for the Cardano network
The consequences of this situation generate concern in the Cardano community.
Jaromir Tesar, operator of a staking pool and DRep, shared its analysis in X:
What will happen to Cardano governance after the Cardano Atlantic Council leaves? 6 members cannot ratify governance actions that require a vote of CC members, including treasury withdrawals.
Jaromir Tesar, DRep of Cardano.
This means that, as of November 25, the governance will be paralyzed until electing a new member.
Tesar added that “from my point of view, it does not make sense to present new proposals that require the approval of the CC members in the coming weeks, since it is difficult to estimate when the CC members will be full.”
Thomas Nordic, director of Intersect, an organization relevant to the governance and development of Cardano, clarified a key point about the process to replace the Cardano Atlantic Council (CAC) following its announced retirement on November 25, 2025.
According to his statements, the addition of new members to the Constitutional Committee It is not an immediate procedurecountering the idea of a quick fix.
Nordic explained that Cardano’s system requires a structured approach, highlighting that the network cannot simply onboard someone without following a specific protocol.
Nordic detailed in a post on X on November 8:
Unfortunately, we cannot simply add members without submitting a new committee update governance action containing the credentials of the entire proposed CC. This would take a minimum of 3 epochs plus agreeing on who should be on the committee.
Thomas Nordic, director of Intersect.
This implies that, in addition to reaching consensus among the candidates, must submit a governance action with the full credentials of the new CC, a step that will take at least three epochs (approximately 15 days each, totaling 45 days minimum).
This delay deepens the paralysis that Cardano will face in its governance, as the CC will be left with six members, below the minimum of seven required, until the process is completed.