First On-Chain Mint of Cardano Stablecoin USDA! + More Updates
EMURGO’s January 2025 newsletter features a monthly recap of product updates and announcements, press releases, education-related news, and more to facilitate the adoption of Cardano and Web3 products & services.
Kick off the year with these new and important developments in the EMURGO and Cardano ecosystems:
- Anzens mints first USDA on-chain! (Wider access coming soon).
- New partnership with Agoric to empower developers in building cross-chain interoperable applications.
- The Plomin hard fork has been successfully implemented on Cardano, unlocking full on-chain governance features for the community.

Anzens Mints First USDA On-Chain!
The first mint of Anzens USDA, Cardano’s fully reserved native stablecoin, is officially live. This marks a foundational milestone in creating a Cardano-native stablecoin asset for the ecosystem.
While retail access isn’t available yet, the Anzens team is working tirelessly to make USDA accessible soon. Stay tuned for updates!

Partnership with Agoric to Build Cross-Chain Applications
EMURGO recently partnered with Agoric to welcome it into the Cardano ecosystem and help blockchain developers create cross-chain interoperable applications with greater ease.
Why Agoric? Their Orchestration technology enables:
- Multi-block execution and native asynchronous functionality.
- Seamless cross-chain flows for builders.
- Improved user retention and value creation.
With this partnership, we’re simplifying Web3 development for builders and users alike.

Explainer: The Plomin Hard Fork
The Plomin hard fork (previously planned as the second upgrade of the Chang hard fork) has been successfully implemented on Cardano, fully unlocking decentralized on-chain governance features for the community including participation by DReps and all governance actions.
The Plomin hard fork is a critical Cardano upgrade introducing significant distributed governance features:
- It enables the full implementation of the decentralized governance model outlined in CIP-1694, moving out of the technical bootstrapping phase and completely into the Voltaire era.
- DReps (Delegated Representatives) can vote on-chain for community governance actions including ratifying the Cardano constitution.
- Other key governance actions include protocol parameter changes, treasury withdrawals, and hard fork initiations.
The upgrade required multiple approvals before deployment:
- SPOs (Stake Pool Operators) had to upgrade their nodes with at least 51% voting in favor of approving the hard fork.
- At least 5 out of 7 members of the Interim Constitutional Committee (ICC) had to vote in favor of the hard fork. As an ICC member, EMURGO voted in support.
- Readiness from exchange liquidity, wallet support, dApps, and other tools.
With Plomin now live, the Cardano community has a greater role in shaping the network’s future through decentralized governance.

Transforming Education with Blockchain: EMURGO Academy’s 2024 Milestones
In 2024, EMURGO Academy’s SmartBlocks solution delivered a lasting impact:
- Empowered 8,000+ students with blockchain-related skills.
- Partnered with 17+ global universities and signed 13 strategic MOUs to advance Web3 education.
Through hands-on SmartBlocks workshops, learners and faculty at leading institutions gained practical experience with blockchain. Our Cardano360 for Campus series also inspired students with the possibilities of Cardano’s cutting-edge technology. Looking ahead to 2025, EMURGO Academy is set to expand SmartBlocks and introduce more tailored learning opportunities.
Follow our official links below for all official news and updates.
About EMURGO
- Official Homepage: emurgo.io
- X (Global): @EMURGO_io
- YouTube: @EMURGO
- LinkedIn: @EMURGO_io
About Yoroi Wallet
- Yoroi Homepage: https://yoroi-wallet.com/
- X: @YoroiWallet
About EMURGO Academy
- Official Homepage: https://education.emurgo.io/
- X: @emurgo_edu
- LinkedIn: @emurgo-in
About Cardano Spot
- Official Homepage: cardanospot.io
- X: @CardanoSpot
- Telegram: https://t.me/cardanospot
About EMURGO Middle East & Africa
- Official Homepage: emurgo.africa
- X: @EmurgoAfrica
- Telegram: https://t.me/emurgoafrica
Disclaimer
You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained herein shall constitute a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by EMURGO to invest.