Today I would like to announce that the Cardano/ADA 4WARD pool will be donating 50% of it’s income to the Third Option Foundation. The Third Option Foundation “seeks to heal, help, and honor members of the CIA’s Special Operations community and their families”.
To quote their website:
"You will probably never know the names of these silent heroes who defend our safety and freedoms in the most distant corners of the world. They’re often the first in and the last to leave many conflicts around the globe. For decades, the operators of CIA's Special Operations units have served and sacrificed in quiet anonymity. Particularly in the years since 9/11, this small group, along with their families, has borne an unprecedented burden in the fight to protect our nation. The nature of their service means they and their loved ones cannot seek the support or relief available to military service members and their families. Third Option Foundation is the only organization that fills this gap, by providing crucial survivorship assistance and resiliency programs to heal the wounded, help the families of those we have lost, and support those who are still serving."
My donation pledge means nothing however if the 4WARD pool is not selected to be active for a Cardano Epoch!
In order for an ADA Pool to have a moderate chance to be active in an epoch (Cardano defined, 5 day period), there needs to be significant delegation of ADA to the pool. With nearly 3000 active ADA pools, a pool would need at least one million ADA delegated to it in order to have a good chance to be active for the next epoch. As more ADA is delegated to the pool, the chance that the pool is active increases. The number of blocks assigned to a pool also increases. This process is a function of Cardano’s Ourboros protocol and it will increase the amount of donations made.
If you don’t already own any ADA, you can help by first buying Cardano/ADA at exchanges like Coinbase Pro, Coinbase, Binance.us, and/or Crypto.com.
Once your deposit clears and you are holding ADA, you can transfer your ADA to a Cardano Wallet like Yoroi and then delegate from your wallet.
If you want a little more information before buying Cardano/ADA, check out the Getting Started Buying Crypto guide and then read the Staking Guide.
By delegating your ADA with the 4WARD pool, you will not only be helping the pool get selected to be active for the next epoch (and hence be able to donate), you will also be earning compounding ADA rewards. The typical average yearly return from delegation is 4.6%, which is paid in ADA. So your delegation will not only help support a great cause with the Third Option Foundation but you will also get rewarded!
Once you delegate, you can easily delegate more by buying more ADA at an exchange and then sending it to your same wallet.
As with investment in any cryptocurrency, there are risks in regards to the price action. What helps mitigate that risk is the ability to send your ADA from your wallet to an exchange to sell it at any time. When you delegate, your ADA is never locked, it’s never at risk of slashing, and you never lose control over it.
It is really difficult to start a successful Cardano pool today. To me, what sets one pool apart from the rest is it’s mission. I believe this mission with the Third Option Foundation will do that, but I can’t do it alone. I need your help, they need your help. Spread the word and delegate to the 4WARD pool to help make this mission a success!
All donations to the Third Option Foundation can be tracked here.
Please contact us if you have questions or if you would like additional information regarding the 4WARD pool.