In the Cardano ecosystem, conditions have been put forward for lifting the price of ADA to above $5, including founder Charles Hoskinson's direct participation in governance and a large investor buying 1 billion ADA.

On July 30, blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that Yure Karamarko, founder of the Cardano ecosystem project SongMarketCap, argued that these two changes are needed in Cardano's decentralised governance system.

Karamarko said Hoskinson should immediately register as a delegated representative, or DRep, for Cardano. A DRep takes voting power delegated by ADA holders and participates in ecosystem decision-making. He also called for a large company, venture capital firm or influential investor to buy 1 billion ADA at current prices and then register as a DRep.

The core logic is to change the nature of governance. Karamarko said more executives with experience founding companies, running teams and scaling businesses should take part in Cardano decision-making. He argued that bringing in such figures would strengthen leadership and could attract new funds to the ecosystem. He said the moment experienced business leaders begin shaping Cardano's future, a move in ADA toward $5 would begin.

He took a critical stance toward some existing DReps. He said it was not appropriate for individuals with no experience in growing a genuinely successful business to exert major influence over the future of a blockchain network worth billions of dollars.

The proposal came as Cardano expands its decentralised governance model in the Voltaire phase. Cardano is broadening its structure so ADA holders can delegate voting power to DReps and take part in ecosystem decision-making. In this situation, Hoskinson has already said he intends to become a DRep by creating a political party within the Cardano ecosystem. He recently asked the community to support the idea, saying he would eliminate cynicism and pessimism around the network.

Community reaction was mixed. Supporters said if large companies, institutional investors and venture capital firms take part in governance, decision-making could carry more weight and it could help attract institutional funds. They also cited claims that Cardano has drawn less venture capital investment than competing blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana.

Opponents said participation by large investors could instead increase conflicts of interest. They said an investor who commits a large amount of capital could push decisions that maximise their own returns rather than benefit the overall ecosystem. Some also voiced scepticism over whether existing ecosystem organisations have shown sufficient leadership during recent governance disputes.

Still, separate from the proposal's symbolism, the gap with the current price is large. ADA is trading at about $0.1626, and $5 is a level ADA has never reached. To rise to that level would require a gain of about 2,975 percent from the current price.

Ultimately, the debate is closer to who will lead Cardano governance than a simple price outlook. Karamarko said stronger governance and broader institutional participation could improve the long-term outlook, but it was also presented that whether it actually reaches $5 depends on the wider market environment, network adoption and whether ecosystem growth continues.