Project

cardano-init

cardano-init helps developers go from zero to a running Cardano protocol in one command. It generates a wired project structure across on-chain, off-chain, devnet, infrastructure and formal-methods tools, with runnable examples, dependency checks and agent-friendly project context.

Goal

Make Cardano project setup easier to start and easier to support.

cardano-init is being onboarded through PRAGMA because it addresses a practical developer-experience problem: new Cardano projects often need several tools to work together before a developer can build, test and iterate. A setup tool that generates a working project structure can reduce early friction and make it easier for developers to reach the point where they are building real protocol logic.

Maintainers

Project maintainers can come from PRAGMA member organizations or the broader community.

Robertino Martinez DevX Lead @ Input Output

Roadmap

Recently

Important milestone recently completed.

PRAGMA onboarding approved

PRAGMA's Administrative Board approved cardano-init for onboarding in September 2026. The Project Committee can now begin the onboarding process, including Guide assignment, incubation conditions and documented next steps.

First releases shipped

The DevX tracker reports that the first cardano-init releases shipped with a CLI-first surface, generated release notes and early external contributions.

Currently

Items currently being worked on.

Setup CLI / TUI workstream

cardano-init is part of the Cardano DevX Initiative's setup CLI/TUI deliverable, focused on making new Cardano project setup faster and easier to run.

Ecosystem integration

The project is designed to work across Cardano tooling roles, including on-chain, off-chain, devnet and infrastructure components. PRAGMA can support this by connecting maintainers, testing real workflows and surfacing documentation or integration gaps.

Upcoming priorities.

Incubation support

PRAGMA's next role is to support the onboarding process without taking ownership of the project: clarify expectations, connect the work to maintainers and help make useful feedback visible.

Getting started