What is Cardano (ADA)?
Cardano is a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain to power the future of finance. It is a decentralized ecosystem of blockchain technology, smart contracts, and community governance, committed to improving economic, political, and social systems for everyone, everywhere.
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History
Cardano was founded in 2015 to address issues in existing blockchain platforms related to the blockchain trilemma of scalability, sustainability, and interoperability—through a scientifically grounded approach. Developed initially by Input Output Global (IOG), Cardano set itself apart with its peer-reviewed research, formal methods, and use of Haskell to ensure security and correctness in code. Cardano was launched in 2017.
Over time, Cardano evolved from a federated to a decentralized network, guided by a structured roadmap—Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho, and Voltaire—each focusing on foundational capabilities like decentralization, smart contracts, scaling, and governance. In 2023, the launch of Intersect, a member-based organization, marked a major milestone in Cardano’s transition to on-chain governance and with another hallmark moment with an on-chain constitution in 2025.
Technology
Cardano uses a Proof-of-Stake (Ouroboros) protocol that IOHK pioneered as the first peer-reviewed, provably secure proof-of-stake protocol. It consumes far less energy than Proof-of-Work (POW) chains like Bitcoin, while maintaining strong security. The Oroboros protocol has a series of research papers with a current focus on scaling the protocol such as with Oroboros Leios. The
Cardano uses the Extended UTXO model — a powerful upgrade of Bitcoin’s UTXO — where each transaction output can carry smart contract logic.This model ensures predictable fees, parallel transaction processing, and increased security, making Cardano ideal for scalable DeFi and NFTs.
Cardano allows anyone to run a stake pool, and users can delegate ADA without locking it, maintaining full control of their funds. The protocol supports delegation without slashing with rewards every epoch (≈5 days). Several advanced features can be built on top of the staking pool node such as Mithril for blockchain snapshots & data aggregation, Hydra head protocol for L2 scaling, partnerchain toolkit and many more planned for the future.
Governance
The Cardano Constitution is a foundational document that outlines the values, principles, and rules that will guide on-chain governance going forward. It was written by the community and ratified through open participation in 2025. While the Constitution can be viewed from many lenses an usefull framework for some of its properties is in terms of 11 blockchain tentes developed by IOHK in 2024:
| IOHK Blockchain Tenet |
Cardano Constitution Expression |
| Decentralization |
Governance power lies with ADA holders, not a central authority. |
| Transparency |
All governance processes must be open and auditable. |
| Open Participation |
Anyone can propose changes, delegate, or run as a Delegated Representative or a Staking Pool operator. |
| Security and Resilience |
Upgrades must not compromise protocol security and given sufficient review. |
| Inclusiveness |
Governance should be accessible regardless of background or technical ability. |
| Freedom of Choice |
Stakeholders can vote directly or delegate freely — no coercion. |
| Privacy Protection |
The Constitution encourages enhancements for data sovereignty. |
| Sustainability |
Treasury and voting systems enable long-term, community-led development. |
| Interoperability |
Constitution designed to work with partnerchains and sidechains to promote cross-chain integration. |
| Accountability |
Constitutional Committee ensures proposals align with community rules. Delegated Representatives and Staking Pool operators also are held accountable through delegation. |
| Freedom from Censorship |
No entity can block proposals or override community decisions that are constitutional. |
Educational Material
| Resource |
Description |
| Cardano Blockchain Insights |
Live blockchain stats: wallets, stake, activity trends. Useful for network analytics. |
| Messari: Cardano Profile |
Independent Cardano overview with data and fundamentals for researchers and investors. |
| Cardano.org Docs |
Official technical and ecosystem documentation: architecture, staking, smart contracts. |
| 11 Blockchain Tenets |
Core ethical principles proposed by IOHK — now embedded in the Cardano Constitution. |
| Discover Cardano |
High-level intro to Cardano’s mission, values, and approach to real-world adoption. |
| Cardano Constitution |
Living document guiding decentralized governance for the Cardano ecosystem. |
| Why Cardano? |
Overview of Cardano’s origin and why it takes a research-first blockchain approach. |
| Cardano Foundation |
Cardano’s official nonprofit steward — focused on adoption, regulation, and community. |
| IOHK (Input Output) |
Core research and engineering company behind Cardano’s protocol development. |
| EMURGO |
Commercial arm of Cardano — supporting adoption, business integration, and education. |
| Intersect (MBO) |
Membership-based governance organization coordinating Cardano's future direction. |
| PRAGMA |
Technical MBO of Cardano — focused on developer infrastructure and tooling. |
Resources
| Wallet |
Description |
| Eternl |
Popular Cardano light wallet with native token support, staking, NFTs, DApp connector, and multi-account features. |
| Vespr |
Modern mobile-first Cardano wallet with clean UX, staking, and community-focused features. |
| Lace |
Official lightweight wallet developed by IOHK. Includes staking, NFTs, hardware wallet support, and full CIP-30 DApp integration. |
| Daedalus |
Official full-node desktop wallet by IOHK. Syncs the entire blockchain for full validation. |
| Yoroi |
Light wallet developed by EMURGO. Browser and mobile-based with staking and hardware wallet support. |
| Platform |
Description |
| Cardano Cube |
Interactive ecosystem map with hundreds of Cardano-based projects across DeFi, NFTs, identity, and more. |
| Built on Cardano |
Directory of Cardano-native apps and projects — from wallets and protocols to games and tools. |
| Catalyst IdeaScale |
Community innovation hub where anyone can propose, vote, and fund ideas through Project Catalyst. |
| Lido Nation |
Community-driven hub for Cardano education, Project Catalyst data, and multilingual content. Includes deep dives and staking guides. |
| Gimbalabs |
Open education and dev training project — hosts learning tracks, live workshops, and hands-on dev labs for Cardano builders. |
| Tool / Repository |
Description |
| cardano-node |
The core node implementation running the Cardano blockchain. Written in Haskell, maintained by IOHK. |
| Hydra |
Layer 2 scalability protocol for fast, low-latency Cardano microtransactions and dApps. |
| Mithril |
Stake-based signature protocol enabling fast bootstrapping and lightweight clients. |
| Partnerchains Toolbox |
Tooling and SDKs to help developers launch partnerchains secured by Cardano’s staking infrastructure. |
| CardanoUpdates |
Live commit tracking for major Cardano GitHub repos — stay updated on every push, fix, and release. |
| API / Tool |
Description |
| Blockfrost |
Scalable API platform for querying the Cardano blockchain. Includes endpoints for addresses, assets, pools, metadata, and more. Free & paid tiers. |
| Demeter.run |
One-click deployment platform for Cardano dApps, APIs, and nodes. Ideal for developers looking to scale without DevOps complexity. |
| Koios |
Decentralized, open-source Cardano indexer API. Supports full RESTful access to chain data via trusted community-hosted nodes. |
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question |
Answer |
| What is Cardano? |
Cardano is a decentralized proof-of-stake blockchain built for security, scalability, and sustainability — backed by peer-reviewed research. |
| How can I buy ADA? |
You can buy ADA on NBX and other exchanges using fiat or other cryptocurrencies. |
| What is staking, and how do I participate? |
Staking lets you delegate your ADA to a stake pool to help secure the network and earn rewards — without locking your funds. |
| How is Cardano different from Ethereum? |
Cardano uses a UTXO model, native staking, formal verification, and a layered architecture — aiming for long-term scalability and governance. |
| What is the Cardano Constitution? |
A community-agreed document that defines the values, rules, and governance structures guiding Cardano's future development. |
| What are Hydra and Ouroboros Leios? |
Hydra is a Layer 2 protocol for scaling transactions off-chain. Leios is a coming upgrade to improve base-layer scalability and parallelism. Both are seens a important scaling solutions for Cardano. |
| Where can I learn more about Cardano? |
Explore the Cardano.org portal, Cardano Docs, or official channels like IOHK, Intersect, and EMURGO for learning and updates. |
