Cardano faces $5 million copper reserve vote as treasury decision looms

Toto Finance Proposes Cardano Copper Reserve

Toto Finance, a company engaged in blockchain-based finance solutions, has submitted a governance proposal requesting 22 million ADA to set up the Cardano Strategic Copper Reserve. If approved, the plan would see Cardano’s treasury acquire copper, issue tokens representing the metal, and ultimately sell the copper to return proceeds to the treasury.

Community voting on this proposal is underway and is scheduled to remain open until November 15, with no funds withdrawn so far.

Of the requested 22 million ADA, about 14.72 million ADA, or 66.9%, would directly fund the purchase of COMEX Grade 1 copper cathodes. The rest would be allocated to storage, insurance, audits, technology development, oversight, and administrative expenses.

Under the plan, copper would be bought at approximately $6.73 per pound and sold around $10.06, which requires a price gain of nearly 49.4% just to restore the original treasury amount, if ADA’s value versus the dollar remains stable.

Toto founder Monty Metzger told CoinDesk that if copper prices see 30% annual growth, the fund could grow by nearly 69% within two years, but he acknowledged this is a hypothetical scenario and that copper prices could also fall.

Additionally, if less than the full 22 million ADA is spent or ADA appreciates against the dollar, the break-even hurdle may shift further, complicating returns to the treasury.

Tokenization Details and Commercial Rights

Under the proposal, copper would be securely stored in a U.S. warehouse near New Orleans. Toto Finance would issue a blockchain token, CuTT, with each unit backed by one pound of copper. The company aims to hold the copper for 18 to 24 months before selling it incrementally, returning net sale proceeds to Cardano’s treasury within three years.

Importantly, Toto would retain the legal title to the metal and hold full commercial rights to the tokenization business, potentially establishing a parallel revenue stream for the company beyond project fees.

Toto could earn up to 3.36 million ADA for project management, an execution fee, and permitted operating margins. This arrangement would result in Cardano bearing the primary commodity price risk, while Toto benefits from developing its own technology platform.

Mini dictionary: Toto Finance is a blockchain-focused financial technology company specializing in real-world asset tokenization, including commodities such as metals. Asset tokenization refers to creating blockchain-based digital representations of real-world assets to enable transparent ownership, trading, and settlement on decentralized platforms.

Tokenization of real-world assets has become a growing trend in recent months. However, this model stands out since the investment’s success is closely tied to the appreciation of physical copper, distinguishing it from more typical tokenized investment vehicles.

Impact on Cardano’s Treasury and Governance

The timing of Toto’s proposal coincides with tight constraints on Cardano’s treasury. The network’s treasury has a spending cap that only allows for withdrawals totaling 500 million ADA through about July 2027. As of October 16, 457.4 million ADA from this allowance had already been distributed.

If approved, the 22 million ADA copper investment would consume approximately 51.6% of the remaining 42.6 million ADA allowance, leaving limited resources for other community projects.

Given these figures, the outcome of the vote holds considerable weight for other Cardano-funded projects seeking community resources.

A previous effort to approve the 2026 Cardano Summit budget was rejected, despite receiving more than 65% support, illustrating the increasing scrutiny on treasury allocations.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has previously highlighted the importance of strategic, treasury-backed ecosystem investments. However, the proposal’s reliance on physical commodity price appreciation has added a new layer of complexity.

While institutional demand for tokenized financial products continues to grow globally, there is no guarantee this will translate into widespread adoption for tokenized copper, or that the required price appreciation will be achieved within the planned timeframe.