Cardano Deepens Academic Roots with PUC-Rio Blockchain Research Deal

• Cardano’s collaboration will leverage PUC-Rio’s Ledger Labs to explore decentralized finance, tokenized assets, and DAO governance structures.
• This partnership is part of Cardano’s broader efforts in Latin America, following a similar collaboration with SERPRO in 2025, and aligns with ongoing initiatives in Argentina and the Middle East.

The Cardano Foundation is formalizing a research-based alliance with the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), one of the main academic institutions in Latin America. It’s focused on promoting innovation in blockchain technologies, particularly in the energy sector.

A Look At Cardano Foundation’s Latest Partnership

In the last decade, both partners have already worked together with Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras on previous engagements around blockchain as applied in such production, distribution and sustainability energy projects. The partnership will primarily focus on renewable energy solutions and blockchain’s role in optimizing the sector’s efficiency, transparency, and security.

This initiative is set to be conducted through PUC-Rio’s Ledger Labs, a particular centre for the investigation of the use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) applications in business, finance and governance. The Cardano Foundation is also backing A.L.B.A programme hosted at the lab. This is in line with the Foundation’s already existing work with Argentina’s Universidad Tecnológica Nacional.

“This collaboration lays a foundation for impactful use cases in both energy and philanthropy, with emphasis on social impact,” added Leonardo Lima, Vice-Dean of PUC-Rio and head of Ledger Labs. He added, “It is a great pleasure to collaborate with one of the world’s leading blockchains, renowned for its security and ESG principles.”

A few research areas that we will focus on include decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized assets, DAO governance structures, etc. It also aspires to create a sustainable academic environment to help the education of future developers, entrepreneurs, or policy thinkers in Brazil and elsewhere.

Responding to the news, Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation, said: “Education and innovation are the heart of blockchain progress.” He further added,

Through our collaboration with esteemed academic institutions like PUC-Rio, the Cardano Foundation ensures that the next generation of developers, industry leaders, and regulators can harness this transformative technology to its fullest potential.

Expansion Motive & Future Plans

This new partnership is the 2nd with a Brazilian institution in the year 2025, the year the Foundation expanded its regional presence. Cardano’s first announcement, made in March, was with Brazil’s public IT giant SERPRO. The initiatives are part of an expanding portfolio of partnerships that feature a link to Petrobras and a slew of other organisations around Latin America and the Middle East, including Argentina’s UTN and Dubai Blockchain Centre.

Rafael Fraga, Cardano Foundation’s LATAM Business Development Lead, highlighted the importance of education in Cardano’s mission. He noted,

We look forward to working closely with PUC-Rio and Petrobras to help shape education and enterprise efforts for Brazil’s blockchain developers and innovators.

For further context, as part of the agreement, the partnership will also launch joint programs and public events. These initiatives aim to promote social innovation and accelerate blockchain adoption through collaborative projects. Last week, some reports also suggested a potential partnership between Cardano and Ripple.