The Cardano Foundation has announced a new partnership with PUC-Rio, one of Brazil’s top universities, to work on blockchain research.
This partnership, which was revealed on April 15th, 2025, in an announcement, will focus on developing blockchain technology in areas like finance, digital assets, decentralized organizations (DAOs), and blockchain economics.
The Cardano Foundation and PUC-Rio will also focus on applying this technology to the energy sector, working together with Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil company.
PUC-Rio, which is ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, has a research group called Ledger Labs. This group will be working with the Cardano Foundation to explore how blockchain technology can be used in business and finance.
The main goal is to find new ways to improve energy production and consumption, with a special focus on renewable energy. They plan to use blockchain to make these processes more efficient, secure, and transparent.
Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation, said, “At the core of blockchain advancement are education and innovation. 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—creating solutions that address real-world challenges and drive positive global impact.”
The partnership isn’t just about research. It also includes organizing joint events, supporting social projects, and collaborating with other organizations. The Cardano Foundation will help PUC-Rio create Ada Labs for Blockchain Applications (A.L.B.A) at the university’s Ledger Labs. This is similar to a project they’ve done at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional in Argentina.
Leonardo Lima, Vice-Dean of PUC-Rio, shared his excitement about the partnership, saying, “Our partnership with the Cardano Foundation marks the beginning of the development of a series of use cases, not only in the energy industry but also in the field of philanthropy, with a focus on social impact projects.”
This partnership is the Cardano Foundation’s second collaboration with a Brazilian organization in 2025. The company also announced a partnership with SERPRO, Brazil’s largest public IT company.
Rafael Fraga, the Cardano Foundation’s LATAM Business Development Lead, said, “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.”
