What Input Output Global does

Input Output (formerly Input Output Global, rebranded December 2025) is a blockchain research and engineering company founded in 2015 by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood. The company is incorporated as Input Output Global, Inc. in the United States, headquartered in Longmont, Colorado, and operates as a fully decentralized remote organization with 600+ employees across 50+ countries. Its core technology stack centers on Cardano — a research-backed layer-1 blockchain using the Ouroboros family of proof-of-stake consensus protocols with formally verified security proofs — and Midnight, a fourth-generation privacy blockchain launched in March 2026 that uses zero-knowledge cryptography and a hybrid ledger architecture for selective data disclosure. Supporting products include the Lace multichain light wallet, Pogun (Bitcoin-Cardano bridge), RealFi (DeFi), Catalyst (community governance and treasury allocation), Identus (decentralized identity), Djed (over-collateralized stablecoin), Blockfrost (Cardano developer API), and Quantum Hosky (gaming partner chain).

The company's revenue model rests on three pillars: contracted blockchain infrastructure development and maintenance for government, public sector, and large institutional clients (professional services); academic research output and technical consulting through the Input Output Research division (professional services); and a Venture Studio that incubates products from idea to spinout, generating value through licensing, royalties, and ecosystem participation. GTM motions combine sales-led enterprise engagement, community-led ecosystem governance via Catalyst, and event-driven presence at major blockchain conferences. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company operates primarily as a B2B services provider with enterprise and government contracts rather than consumer-facing product pricing. Customer segments include blockchain ecosystem participants (developers, DApp builders), government and public sector agencies, and financial institutions (banks, exchanges, fintechs such as DFX, MoneyGram, Brave, Circle, and major global exchanges). Compliance posture includes GDPR and CCPA data protection compliance.

Name

Input Output Global

Legal name

Input Output Global, Inc.

Website

https://iog.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Input Output is a blockchain research and engineering company that builds and maintains the Cardano layer-1 blockchain, the Midnight privacy blockchain, and an ecosystem of wallets, DeFi, identity, and developer tools, serving governments, financial institutions, and blockchain developers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blockchain Infrastructure

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Deployment, Automation & DevOps (build pipelines, contract deployment tools) (FSAPABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Blockchain Data & Indexing Infrastructure for Finance (Nodes, Indexers, Oracles) (FSAGAMAL), Compliance Identity & KYC/KYB for Wallets (on-chain identity, reusable KYC, travel rule tooling) (FSAPACAL), Smart Contract Wallets & Account Abstraction (FSADACAF), Digital Asset Risk, Security & Audit Tooling (Smart Contract Audit, Threat Monitoring) (FSAGAMAJ)

Keywords

• Blockchain infrastructure
• Proof-of-stake protocols
• Smart contract platforms
• Decentralized identity solutions
• Cryptocurrency research

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Blockchain Infrastructure Development: Contracted development and maintenance services for public, private, and government clients. IOG builds and maintains Cardano blockchain infrastructure under ongoing service agreements.
2. Research and Consulting: Academic research output and technical consulting services. Partners can contribute to and invest in Input Output Research division.
3. Venture Studio: Supporting founders from idea to spinout with research, governance, incentives, and systems design. Ventures include products like Catalyst, Identus, Djed, and others built within the ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Input Output designs, engineers, and maintains blockchain infrastructure and developer platforms, with the Cardano layer-1 proof-of-stake blockchain and the Midnight zero-knowledge privacy blockchain as its flagship products. Its offering spans wallets (Lace), DeFi (RealFi, Pogun, Djed), decentralized identity (Identus), developer APIs (Blockfrost), governance tooling (Catalyst), and dedicated research output that informs protocol design.

Product overview

Input Output is a blockchain research and engineering company offering a platform-plus-products architecture. The core offerings include Cardano, a research-backed layer 1 blockchain using Ouroboros proof-of-stake consensus, and Midnight, a fourth-generation privacy blockchain using zero-knowledge cryptography. The product portfolio spans wallets (Lace - multichain light wallet), DeFi services (RealFi, Pogun Bitcoin-Cardano bridge), stablecoins (Djed), identity (Identus), developer infrastructure (Blockfrost API platform), governance (Catalyst funding/voting), and gaming (Quantum Hosky). The company also operates a Venture Studio for ecosystem development and maintains a dedicated research division advancing cryptography, distributed systems, and formal methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cardano Research-backed layer-1 blockchain platform using the Ouroboros proof-of-stake consensus protocol and formal verification methodology, focused on scalability, sustainability, and interoperability for developers, enterprises, and governments.
• Midnight Fourth-generation privacy blockchain using zero-knowledge cryptography and a hybrid ledger architecture to enable verification without exposing underlying data, supporting selective data disclosure for financial services, digital identity, and compliance use cases.
• Lace Light wallet platform that has evolved to become multichain, starting with Bitcoin and Cardano support, enabling users to manage digital assets across multiple blockchains.
• Pogun Bitcoin-Cardano bridge enabling BTC holders to deploy their Bitcoin assets across Cardano DeFi applications including lending, NFT-collateralized loans, swaps, and leveraged trading.
• RealFi Decentralized finance (DeFi) platform on Cardano enabling decentralized lending, borrowing, and other financial services.
• Catalyst Project voting and funding platform for Cardano that enables community-driven governance and treasury funding for ecosystem projects.
• Identus Decentralized identity solution enabling users to cryptographically prove attributes without centralized control, supporting digital identity and compliance use cases.
• Djed Over-collateralized stablecoin on Cardano designed to maintain price stability through algorithmic reserve management, enabling DeFi, lending, and payment functions.
• Blockfrost Cardano API platform providing REST API endpoints for developers to query blockchain data, submit transactions, and build applications on Cardano.
• Quantum Hosky 4D gamescape and partner chain exploring immersive blockchain gaming experiences and interoperability within the Cardano ecosystem.
• Venture Studio Platform supporting founders at every stage from idea to spinout with research, governance, incentives, and systems design, helping launch new infrastructure, applications, or services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ouroboros proof-of-stake protocol provides security guarantees comparable to Bitcoin blockchain protocol with qualitative efficiency advantages over proof-of-work systems
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Cloud serves as a collaboration partner for Midnight's privacy simulation platform (Midnight City Simulation) and hosts infrastructure for the Midnight blockchain network.
• TelegramcoreTechnology or IntegrationTelegram is disclosed as a collaboration partner helping to run the Midnight City Simulation platform for testing blockchain proof generation at scale.
• MoneyGramflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoneyGram partnership with Midnight Network supporting the privacy-focused blockchain's launch as part of its phased mainnet rollout. Includes use cases in financial services and digital identity.
• Midnight FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Midnight Foundation backs the Midnight Network and oversees its development as a privacy-focused partner blockchain to Cardano. Founder Charles Hoskinson describes it as the start of fourth-generation blockchain technology.
• CirclecoreTechnology or IntegrationCircle's USDCx native stablecoin delivered live on Cardano through the Critical Integrations (CCI V1) program with $70,000,000 in community-approved funding. USDCx backed by USDC reserves in Circle's xReserve.
• Pyth NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationPyth Network oracle feeds delivered live on Cardano through the CCI V1 program, providing price data infrastructure for DeFi applications on the blockchain.
• LayerZerocoreTechnology or IntegrationLayerZero cross-chain messaging integration in advanced development targeting Q3 delivery as part of the CCI V1 program, enabling interoperability with other blockchains.
• FireblockscoreTechnology or IntegrationInstitutional custody via Fireblocks under negotiation for Cardano ecosystem, planned for CCI V2 follow-on funding submission. Not yet completed under current program scope.
• DFX (Swiss Fintech)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFX integrated ADA for payments at 137 SPAR Supermarkets across Switzerland, offering faster settlements and lower transaction costs. First major retail integration for Cardano payments.
• IntersectMBOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntersectMBO is a Cardano ecosystem entity coordinating with IOG on the Critical Integrations program and chain management following partition bug incidents.
• FairgateflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fairgate to expand Bitcoin's functionality through BitVMX protocol for trust-minimized Bitcoin DeFi operations. Joint development of UPLC to RISC-V compiler enabling Cardano smart contracts to secure Bitcoin assets.
• RootstockLabsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with Fairgate and RootstockLabs to launch BitVMX FORCE advancing Bitcoin scalability through collaborative protocol development.
• Argentine Fintech ChamberstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Argentine Fintech Chamber to accelerate blockchain adoption across Argentina's digital economy through industry collaboration and regulatory engagement.
• BraveflagshipTechnology or IntegrationCompleted integration of Cardano in Brave Wallet, enabling Brave browser users to access Cardano directly through the wallet interface.
• TxPipestrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with TxPipe to accelerate developer growth in Argentina through developer tools, training, and ecosystem support for Cardano developers.
• Snek ($SNEK)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic collaboration with $SNEK to advance the Cardano Ecosystem through community-driven initiatives and developer engagement.
• CryptoUKstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerIO joined CryptoUK, the cryptocurrency industry association, to engage in regulatory discussions and advance industry standards in the UK.
• Blockchain for EuropestrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerIO joined Blockchain for Europe association to advance cross-sector collaboration in DeFi policy development across European markets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ethereum Foundation: Non-profit stewarding the Ethereum protocol and ecosystem. Directly comparable as a research-driven, foundation-style organization supporting a leading L1 smart contract platform with a large academic contributor base and ETH-tied treasury.
• Solana Labs: Core engineering entity behind the Solana L1. Comparable as a private/blockchain-aligned company building and operating a competing high-performance L1 with an extensive validator and developer ecosystem.
• Polygon Labs: Engineering company building the Polygon L2 ecosystem and AggLayer. Comparable as a private, venture-backed blockchain infrastructure company that also publishes research, pursues enterprise/government deals, and ships multiple products (Polygon PoS, zkEVM, CDK).
• Web3 Foundation: Foundation supporting the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems. Comparable as a research-heavy organization stewarding a multi-chain/interoperability-focused protocol with strong academic ties, similar in structure to IO's role with Cardano.
• Offchain Labs: Builder of Arbitrum, a leading optimistic rollup L2 on Ethereum. Comparable as a venture-backed engineering company focused on scaling and formal verification (Arbitrum Stylus, fraud proofs) competing for the same developer and enterprise mindshare IO targets with Cardano/Midnight.
• StarkWare: Company behind StarkNet and the STARK proving stack. Comparable as a deep-tech, research-led blockchain infrastructure company whose zero-knowledge technology overlaps with Midnight's ZK-based privacy architecture.

Emerging players

• Electric Coin Company: Original team behind Zcash. Comparable as a research-and-engineering organization building a privacy-focused blockchain, and a direct competitor to Midnight in the privacy chain category.
• Aleo: Developer of a privacy-first, ZK-enabled L1. Comparable as a research-led company using zero-knowledge cryptography for selective disclosure, directly competing with Midnight for enterprise and developer mindshare.

Broad incumbents

• Alchemy: Major blockchain developer platform and node infrastructure provider. Comparable as an API and developer-tooling layer serving multiple chains, similar in role to IO's Blockfrost product line.
• Chainalysis: Established blockchain data, compliance, and analytics platform. Comparable as a broader Web3 infrastructure and compliance vendor that intersects with IO's regulatory and data-indexing capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IOGroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/IohkIo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/input-output-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Input Output Global