Subject: Investigation into the proposal “Empowering Community Hub Cardano in Brazil” and possible self-enrichment with Project Catalyst funds
To: Project Catalyst Community, Intersect, Cardano Foundation
Proposer: Maria Carmo
Proposal Link: https ://projectcatalyst.io/funds/13/cardano-open-ecosystem/empowering-community-hub-cardano-in-brazil
Dear Community,
I am submitting this report to raise serious concerns regarding the transparency and utilization of funds for the “Empowering Community Hub Cardano in Brazil” proposal, which was funded through Project Catalyst. This proposal presents significant ethical and transparency issues, as well as potential misuse of community funds.
1. Lack of Transparency in Project Execution
This proposal was funded to conduct community engagement activities, including Twitter Spaces and engagement challenges. However, a key engagement event—the “Engagement Challenge”—shows clear signs of a lack of transparency and questionable intent:
- The event was announced 9 days after the proposal launch (March 6) via a post on the GovChain website.
- There was no broad promotion in relevant community groups. Despite Maria Carmo being an administrator of the largest Portuguese-speaking Cardano Telegram group, the event was never shared there.
- The first post about the challenge on Instagram (March 6) did not mention the prizes. The first post mentioning prizes appeared only on March 13—just two days before the deadline.
- The final posts were made on March 14, only 24 hours before the challenge closed.
2. Disproportionate and Unexplained Prize Structure
The engagement challenge offered three prizes totaling 30,000 BRL (~7,500 ADA at current rates), with the top prize being 18,000 BRL, approximately 13 times the Brazilian minimum wage.
- The proposal received 68,000 ADA in funding.
- So far, only 13,600 ADA have been used, leaving 54,400 ADA unaccounted for.
- Why does it take 68,000 ADA to conduct Twitter Spaces and community engagement events?
3. Questionable Conduct History
Maria Carmo was previously a Cardano Ambassador but lost her position for demanding payment when invited to speak about Cardano, which goes against community principles.
Given this background, the current behavior raises concerns about whether Catalyst funds are being misused for personal gain.
4. Conclusion and Request for Investigation
Based on the evidence presented, I formally request an investigation into this proposal’s execution, the allocation of received funds, and the transparency of developed activities.
5. Recommended Actions:
- A detailed review of financial reports and project execution statements.
- An audit of how the 68,000 ADA funded by Catalyst is being used.
- Implementation of a transparency plan for all Catalyst proposers, ensuring funds are genuinely used for community engagement and not personal enrichment.
Failure to address these concerns could damage the credibility of Catalyst and the Cardano Foundation, discouraging future investors and contributors.
I await a response and appropriate action from the responsible authorities.
Best regards, cardanolov3r@proton.me
Who Is Behind This Proposal?**
The proposal is led by:
- Maria Carmo (Primary author)
X: x. com/ MariaCarmo369
Instagram: @ mariacarmo369
- Daniela Alves (Secondary author)
X: x. com/ DanielaHubBr
Instagram: @ danielahubbr
- GovChain (Affiliated Organization)
X: x. com/ Gov_Chain
Instagram: @ govchainlab
Portuguese-Brazilian Cardano Telegram Groups:
Cardanistas https:// t. me/cardanistas – More than 2,000 members, Maria Carmo is an admin, yet this challenge was never shared there.
Cardano Portuguese Official https:// t. me /CardanoPortugueseOfficial – Around 1,000 members. This challenge was only shared twice:
- March 6 (the first day of the blog post, before any real details were known).
- March 14 (just one day before the deadline on March 15).