Cardano price

in USD
Top market cap
$0.7812
-$0.0402 (-4.90%)
USD
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Market cap
$28.56B #10
Circulating supply
36.52B / 45B
All-time high
$3.099
24h volume
$1.75B
3.9 / 5

About Cardano

ADA, the cryptocurrency of the Cardano blockchain, is designed to enable secure, scalable, and sustainable transactions in the digital economy. Cardano focuses on innovation through research-driven development and employs a unique proof-of-stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros, which is energy-efficient and promotes decentralization. ADA plays a central role in the ecosystem, functioning as a medium of exchange for transaction fees, staking rewards, and governance participation. Its applications extend to smart contracts, decentralized applications (dApps), and tokenized assets, providing opportunities for real-world use in sectors like finance, education, and healthcare. As one of the most community-driven projects, ADA is gaining recognition for its commitment to transparency and long-term value creation.
AI insights
Layer 1
Official website
Github
Block explorer
CertiK
Last audit: Jun 8, 2021, (UTC+8)

Cardano’s price performance

93% better than the stock market
Past year
+103.75%
$0.38
3 months
+40.60%
$0.56
30 days
-8.00%
$0.85
7 days
-15.73%
$0.93
Cardano’s biggest 24-hour price drop was on May 19, 2021, (UTC+8), when it fell by $1.077 (-51.70%). In Aug 2021, Cardano experienced its biggest drop over a month, falling by $1.711 (-57.57%). Cardano’s biggest drop over a year was by $2.931 (-94.57%) in 2021.
Cardano’s all-time low was $0.01765 (+4,326.06%) on Mar 13, 2020, (UTC+8). Its all-time high was $3.099 (-74.80%) on Sep 2, 2021, (UTC+8). Cardano’s circulating supply is 36,523,691,981 ADA, which represents 81.16% of its maximum circulating supply of 45,000,000,000 ADA.
51%
Buying
Updated hourly.
More people are buying ADA than selling on OKX

Cardano on socials

St₳ke with Pride 🌈 SPO & DRep
St₳ke with Pride 🌈 SPO & DRep
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst @JSeyff on Bankless chuckles as he reads the top blockchain ETFs like $ADA that aren't the chosen ones.
fxhassan
fxhassan
XAU/USD Sell ENTRY POINT 3730TO 3732 ¹/TAKE PROFIT   3726 ²/TAKE PROFIT  3722 ³/TAKE PROFIT  3718 W STOP LOSS        3742 $CRO $VVS $BTC $ETH $SOL $XRP $DOGE $SHIB $PEPE $PI $SUI $ADA $TRUMP $HBAR $TFX
4245B6
4245B6
Crypto Price Analysis 9-25: BITCOIN: BTC, ETHEREUM: ETH, SOLANA: SOL, DOGECOIN: DOGE, COSMOS: ATOM
The cryptocurrency market’s recovery stalled once again as major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL), fell back into bearish territory. The crypto market cap is down nearly 1%, with altcoins leading the selloff. The drop is largely due to profit-taking, rising Bitcoin dominance, and negative crypto-equity correlations.  BTC traded above $114,000 on Wednesday as buyers mounted a recovery. However, it lost momentum on Thursday, falling to an intraday low of $111,686 before moving to its current level. BTC is down almost 1% over the past 24 hours, with sellers in control.  Meanwhile, ETH is down over 4% as it struggles to stay above the key $4,000 mark. The altcoin has dropped nearly 13% over the past week. ETH traded above $4,200 on Wednesday but lost momentum early on Thursday. As a result, it briefly fell below $4,000 before moving to its current level of $4,012. Ripple (XRP) is marginally down, trading around $2.85, while Solana (SOL) is down almost 3% as sellers look to drive it below the key $200 mark. Dogecoin (DOGE) is down over 2%, while Cardano (ADA) is down nearly 3%, trading around $0.791. Chainlink (LINK), Stellar (XLM), Hedera (HBAR), Litecoin (LTC), Toncoin (TON), and Polkadot (DOT) have also registered notable declines over the past 24 hours.  Crypto ETFs Set To Flood US Markets  Prominent asset managers are queuing up to launch cryptocurrency ETFs after the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) streamlined the approval process. The updated standards, announced last week, could lead to heightened demand for crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) tied to prominent altcoins like Solana (SOL). Currently, 21 US ETFs track Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), or a combination of both. Additionally, the SEC has several more filings for new ETFs that it must approve. Steven McClurg, founder of Canary Capital Group, stated,  “We've got about a dozen filings with the SEC now, and more coming. We're all getting ready for a wave of launches.” Financial institutions have rushed to update their filings since the SEC streamlined the approval process. The regulator has also asked for feedback and specific comments from issuers. According to sources familiar with the developments, a final list of amendments could be filed as early as this week. Teddy Fusaro, president of Bitwise, stated,  “Those filings are pretty far along in the review process. These are the rules we had been anticipating.” Australia To Tighten Oversight Of Crypto Exchanges  Australia is set to tighten rules and regulations governing crypto exchanges and service providers. Australian authorities have released draft regulations that will extend laws governing the finance sector to cryptocurrency exchanges. Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino called the legislation “a cornerstone of our digital asset roadmap.” “This is a preliminary version of the legislation, and we are seeking stakeholder feedback on its effectiveness and clarity before proceeding further.” Currently, cryptocurrency exchanges in Australia must only register with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). AUSTRAC has over 400 cryptocurrency exchanges registered with it. However, most of them are inactive. Mulino added that the draft legislation will create two new financial products under the Corporations Act: a digital asset platform and a tokenized custody platform. Mulino explained,  “This means digital asset platform and tokenized custody platform service providers will need to hold an Australian Financial Services License.” He added that the legislation has “targeted rules for key activities,” including wrapped tokens, public token infrastructure, and staking. The platforms will also be subject to a “suite of obligations designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of digital assets.” “Failures of digital asset businesses have highlighted the consumer risks, particularly where operators pull and hold client assets without consistent safeguards. This is about legitimizing the good actors and shutting out the bad. It is about giving businesses certainty and consumers confidence.” Bitcoin, Ethereum ETFs Register Substantial Outflows  Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs registered a combined outflow of $244 million on September 23, the second consecutive day of substantial investor withdrawals. Investors are repositioning themselves after the Federal Reserve rate cut and upcoming inflation data. According to data from SoSoValue, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $103 million in outflows, while Ethereum ETFs saw $140 million in redemptions.  Fidelity’s FBTC led the outflows among Bitcoin ETFs with $76 million, followed by ARK 21Shares ARKB, which registered outflows of $27.9 million. Meanwhile, Grayscale’s GBTC, VanEck’s HODL, and Valkyrie’s BRRR registered no substantial net flows.  Fidelity’s FETH accounted for most of the losses among Ethereum ETFs, with over $140 million withdrawn in a single day. This was followed by Grayscale’s ETH fund with $36 million in outflows. Bitwise’s ETHW registered $23 million in withdrawals, while Grayscale’s ETHE registered $17.1 million in redemptions.  Uncertainty Grows Around New CFTC Chair  Uncertainty around former CFTC commissioner Brian Quintenz’s appointment as the next CFTC Chair is growing amid reports that President Trump is considering other candidates. According to reports, the Trump administration is vetting several candidates to succeed acting Chair Caroline Pham. The current shortlist includes former CFTC Division Director Josh Sterling, Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Counsel Mike Selig, and Treasury Secretary counselor Tyler Williams.  The development is crucial because Quintenz was previously viewed as the frontrunner to become CFTC Chair in February.  Bitcoin (BTC) Price Analysis  Bitcoin’s (BTC) recovery lost momentum during the ongoing session as it fell back into the red after reaching an intraday high of $113,999 on Wednesday. The flagship cryptocurrency has struggled to regain momentum this week as buyers remain cautious after Monday’s market crash. BTC fell to an intraday low of $111,502 on Tuesday but recovered on Wednesday, rising 1.19% and settling at $113,348. The current session sees the price down over 1%, trading around $112,079.  Analytics platform Glassnode believes that BTC has entered a “historically late phase” of its bull market cycle, with profit-taking metrics and capital flows mirroring previous market tops. According to Glassnode data, BTC’s current cycle is similar to the 2015–2018 and 2018–2022 runs, where the price reached an all-time high two to three months after the present relative stage. Glassnode also highlighted that BTC’s circulating supply has spent 273 days above the +1 standard deviation profit band. Long-term holders have also realized more profits than in all but one past cycle, indicating that sell-side pressure is mounting. Glassnode noted in its weekly report,  “These signals reinforce the view that the current cycle is firmly in its historically late phase.” Additionally, profit-taking volumes have also softened. Meanwhile, CryptoQuant suggests there is renewed demand for BTC, with the youngest group of BTC holders flipping net positive. BTC supply held by this group surged by 73,702 BTC in September. Short-term BTC holders are also accumulating, and have added 159,098 BTC. However, Santiment cautioned against expectations of an immediate rebound, stating that retail eagerness to “buy the dip” has often led to further downside. Some analysts believe BTC could see another dip before a true recovery takes place. Crypto investor Ted Pillows noted,  $BTC usually bottoms in September. In just 2 days, $17,500,000,000 in Bitcoin options will expire with a max pain at $107,000. Historically, BTC moves towards max pain during such huge expirations. I think there's still a big leg down left before reversal.” BTC ended the previous weekend in the red, dropping 0.56% and settling at $115,314. The price faced volatility on Monday as buyers and sellers struggled to establish control. Buyers ultimately gained the upper hand as BTC registered a marginal increase and settled at $115,381. Bullish sentiment intensified on Tuesday as the price rose 1.26% to cross $116,000 and settle at $116,832. Selling pressure returned on Wednesday as BTC fell to an intraday low of $114,724. It recovered from this level to settle at $116,484, ultimately dropping 0.30%. BTC reached an intraday high of $117,998 on Thursday. However, it could not stay at this level and settled at $117,117. The price lost momentum on Friday, dropping 1.22% to $115,690. Source: TradingView Price action was mixed over the weekend, with BTC registering a marginal increase on Saturday. However, it was back in the red on Sunday, dropping 0.41% to $115,282. The flagship cryptocurrency plunged to an intraday low of $111,761 on Monday as bearish sentiment intensified. It recovered from this level to reclaim $112,000 and settle at $112,736. Buyers attempted a recovery on Tuesday as BTC reached an intraday high of $113,357. However, it failed to stay at this level and settled at $112,017, ultimately dropping 0.64%. The price fell to an intraday low of $111,066 on Wednesday as selling pressure intensified. Despite the bearish sentiment, it recovered to register a 1.19% increase and settle at $113,348. Selling pressure has returned during the ongoing session, with BTC down 1.42%, trading around $111,737.  Ethereum (ETH) Price Analysis  Ethereum (ETH) extended its decline for a fifth day, with the price down over 3% during the ongoing session. The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency has seen bearish sentiment dominate this week after Monday’s crash, which saw the price fall nearly 6% to $4,202. Sellers retained control on Tuesday as ETH fell almost 1% and settled at $4,166. The price registered a marginal decline on Wednesday, with selling pressure intensifying during the ongoing session.  Meanwhile, the amount of ETH held on centralized exchanges has dropped to its lowest level in 2016, thanks to a sharp jump in institutional accumulation. The altcoin’s supply on centralized exchanges has been steadily falling since 2020. However, the number has been halved over the past two years, as the rate of accumulation rose. The exodus accelerated in July and has dropped a further 20% since. According to Glassnode data, centralized exchanges hold 14.8 million ETH as of Thursday. CryptoQuant also reported a similar trend in its Ethereum exchange supply ratio. The metric is at its lowest level since 2016.  When exchange supplies drop, it indicates that investors are moving their assets into cold storage, staking, or DeFi. It also suggests that investors believe in the long-term potential of the asset. On the other hand, when exchange balances increase, it is a sign that investors are preparing to sell their assets. CryptoQuant author CryptoOnChain noted,  “Large-scale withdrawals often indicate a shift toward self-custody or DeFi deployments, reducing exchange liquidity and immediate selling pressure.” ETH ended the previous weekend in the red, dropping 1.27% and settling at $4,608. Sellers retained control on Monday as the price fell nearly 2%, slipping below $4,600 and settling at $4,527. ETH dropped 0.55% on Tuesday, settling at $4,502. Despite the overwhelming selling pressure, the price recovered on Wednesday, rising 1.99% and settling at $4,591. However, it was back in the red on Thursday, registering a marginal decline and settling at $4,589. Selling pressure intensified on Friday as ETH fell 2.58%, slipping below $4,500 and settling at $4,471. Source: TradingView ETH registered a marginal recovery on Saturday but was back in the red on Sunday, dropping 0.73% to $4,449. Selling pressure intensified on Monday as ETH started the week in bearish territory. As a result, it fell nearly 6%, falling to an intraday low of $4,083 before settling at $4,202. Sellers retained control on Tuesday as ETH fell almost 1% to $4,166. ETH registered a marginal decline on Thursday after buyers lost momentum, dropping to $4,155. Selling pressure has intensified during the ongoing session, with the price down almost 3% at $4,034.  Solana (SOL) Price Analysis  Solana (SOL) is struggling to hold its position above $200 after dropping to $202 during the ongoing session. The altcoin has been unable to regain momentum after Monday’s crash, dropping over 3% on Tuesday and registering a marginal decline on Wednesday, settling at $211. The current session sees SOL down nearly 4%, trading around $202.  The altcoin has underperformed almost all major cryptocurrencies, with analysts citing deleveraging pressure, priced-in corporate purchases, and upcoming FTX distributions as the main drivers of SOL’s recent decline. Dean Chen, analyst at crypto exchange Bitunix, stated,  “According to CoinGlass data, over the past 24 hours, market-wide liquidations exceeded $290 million, with highly leveraged and less liquid assets seeing sharper drawdowns—Solana being a prime example.” Solana derivatives contracts accounted for $31.6 million of forced liquidations over the past day, compared to $68.5 million in ETH and $52.5 million in BTC liquidations. Chen stated that the market had already priced in Solana treasury news from Forward Industries and DeFi Development Corp.  “Once the announcements became official, the market reacted with a classic ‘buy the rumor, sell the news’ dynamic, prompting speculative holders to exit and accelerating the correction.” Solana (SOL) reached an intraday high of $249 on Sunday (September 14). However, it could not stay at this level and settled at $240, dropping 0.99%. Selling pressure intensified on Monday as the price fell by over 2% to $234. Despite the overwhelming selling pressure, SOL recovered on Tuesday, rising 1.06% and settling at $226. Bullish sentiment intensified on Wednesday as the price rose over 3% to cross $240 and settle at $244. Source: TradingView SOL reached an intraday high of $253 on Thursday. However, it could not stay at this level and settled at $247, ultimately rising 1.11%. Selling pressure returned on Friday as the price fell 3.59% to $238. Price action was mixed over the weekend as SOL registered a marginal increase on Saturday before dropping 1.34% on Sunday and settling at $236. Bearish sentiment intensified on Monday as SOL fell nearly 7%, dropping to an intraday low of $214 before settling at $220. Sellers retained control on Tuesday as the price fell by over 3% and settled at $213. SOL fell almost 1% on Wednesday and settled at $211. Selling pressure has intensified during the ongoing session, with the price down over 4% at $202. Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Analysis Dogecoin (DOGE) started the previous week in the red, dropping over 3% to a low of $0.259 before settling at $0.269. Selling pressure persisted on Tuesday as the price fell to a low of $0.257. However, it recovered from this level and settled at $0.269, ultimately registering a marginal increase. Bullish sentiment intensified on Wednesday as DOGE rose nearly 5% and settled at $0.283. Despite the positive sentiment, the price lost momentum on Thursday, dropping 1.48% to $0.278. Selling pressure intensified on Friday as DOGE fell 4.52% and settled at $0.266. Source: TradingView Price action was mixed over the weekend as DOGE rose marginally on Saturday. However, it lost momentum on Sunday, dropping over 2% to $0.261. Bearish sentiment intensified on Monday as the price fell nearly 8%, dropping to a low of $0.231, before settling at $0.241. Sellers retained control on Tuesday as DOGE fell 1.53% and settled at $0.237. The price faced volatility on Wednesday as buyers and sellers struggled to establish control. Buyers ultimately gained the upper hand as the price rose 1.64% to $0.241. DOGE is down 4% during the ongoing session, trading around $0.232. Cosmos (ATOM) Price Analysis Cosmos (ATOM) fell sharply on Monday (September 15), falling nearly 3% and settling at $4.51. The price recovered on Tuesday, rising 0.92% to $4.55. Buyers retained control on Wednesday as ATOM rose 1.49% and settled at $4.62. The price continued pushing higher on Thursday, rising 0.98% and settling at $4.66. Despite the positive sentiment, ATOM lost momentum on Friday, falling by more than 3% to $4.47. Source: TradingView Price action remained bearish over the weekend as ATOM fell 0.40% on Saturday and 0.95% on Sunday to settle at $4.41. Bearish sentiment intensified on Monday as the price fell nearly 6% and settled at $4.16. Sellers retained control on Tuesday as ATOM registered a marginal decline and settled at $4.14. Despite the selling pressure, the price recovered on Wednesday, rising 0.26% to $4.16. ATOM is down over 2% during the ongoing session, trading around $4.06. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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Cardano FAQ

The maximum supply of Cardano is capped at 45 billion, of which 31.11 billion tokens were in circulation during the launch of the network.

Like most crypto tokens and altcoins, Cardano’s price is susceptible to the larger crypto market price trends. This means that during bull cycles, Cardano’s price increases, and the price of Cardano falls during bear markets.

Apart from market trends, Cardano’s price is also affected by factors such as network upgrades and positive or negative news around the network. At OKX, we advise you to research any cryptocurrency before buying and trading them. Cryptocurrency is deemed a high-risk asset and prone to sharp price movements. Therefore, we ask that you only buy what you are willing to lose.

Furthermore, like all cryptocurrencies, Cardano is volatile and carries risks. Therefore, before buying, you should do your own research (DYOR) and evaluate your risk appetite before proceeding.

Bitcoin uses the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism that requires miners to use computers to solve a complex mathematical problem, making the process energy intensive. However, the miner who solves the problem gets to validate transactions and create a block and is rewarded in BTC.

On the other hand, Cardano uses the PoS consensus mechanism that is several times less energy intensive. In fact, according to Hoskinson's estimates, Cardano's energy usage is 0.01 percent of Bitcoins. This is why Cardano is sometimes referred to as the "green blockchain."

Cardano's development roadmap is divided into five stages: Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho, and Voltaire. During the Byron era, the Cardano team developed the foundational code for the network with the Ouroboros consensus mechanism at its heart, allowing users to exchange the native token, ADA.

The Shelley era focussed on decentralization to ensure that the nodes were run by a diverse group of people instead of centralized groups. Next, the Goguen phase saw the Alonzo upgrade that introduced smart contract capabilities to Cardano. The Vasil upgrade, part of the Basho era, focused on improving the network's scalability by improving throughput. Cardano is also working to introduce side chains to further boost scalability during this phase.

The Voltaire period will see the addition of voting and a treasury system for a self-sustained governance mechanism. It will allow users to stake their assets and vote on the future developments of the network.

Easily buy ADA tokens on the OKX cryptocurrency platform. Available trading pairs in the OKX spot trading terminal include ADA/USDT, ADA/USDC, ADA/ETH, and ADA/BTC.

You can also buy ADA with over 99 fiat currencies by selecting the "Express buy" option. Other popular crypto tokens, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC), are also available.

Swap your existing cryptocurrencies, including XRP (XRP), Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), and Chainlink (LINK), for ADA with zero fees and no price slippage by using OKX Convert.

To view the estimated real-time conversion prices between fiat currencies, such as the USD, EUR, GBP, and others, into ADA, visit the OKX Crypto Converter Calculator. OKX's high-liquidity crypto exchange ensures the best prices for your crypto purchases.

Currently, one Cardano is worth $0.7812. For answers and insight into Cardano's price action, you're in the right place. Explore the latest Cardano charts and trade responsibly with OKX.
Cryptocurrencies, such as Cardano, are digital assets that operate on a public ledger called blockchains. Learn more about coins and tokens offered on OKX and their different attributes, which includes live prices and real-time charts.
Thanks to the 2008 financial crisis, interest in decentralized finance boomed. Bitcoin offered a novel solution by being a secure digital asset on a decentralized network. Since then, many other tokens such as Cardano have been created as well.
Check out our Cardano price prediction page to forecast future prices and determine your price targets.

Dive deeper into Cardano

Cardano (ADA) is a third-generation blockchain platform looking to improve the workings of Ethereum and Bitcoin. Named after Gerolamo Cardano, a 16th-century Italian polymath, Cardano describes itself as a third-generation blockchain equipped with the technologies required to enable a sustainable and secure crypto network.

Like every Layer 1 blockchain project, Cardano also has its native token, which doubles as the consensus anchoring mechanism and a settlement currency. This token is named ADA after a 19th-century mathematician, Ada Lovelace, who developed the first computer algorithm and is regarded as the first programmer.

How does Cardano work?

Cardano is among the first blockchains to be built using the highly secure Haskell programming language. Its multi-layered protocol is capable of performing sophisticated functions, comprising of a Cardano Settlement Layer (CSL), which serves as a unit of account, and a Cardano Computing Layer (CCL), which executes smart contracts and facilitates identity recognition and compliance.

The workings of Cardano boil down to implementing an energy-efficient consensus mechanism called Ouroboros. Ouroboros is a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism where users stake their assets to validate transactions. The validators are rewarded with ADA tokens in proportion to their staked assets. This in-house developed technology allows Cardano to use only a fraction of the energy used by legacy blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum to validate transactions and keep their networks secure.

Besides offering an environmentally friendly network, the Cardano blockchain resolves the scalability issues plaguing established blockchains without dialing down on the importance of decentralization. Specifically, Cardano currently processes 250 transactions per second (TPS), a considerably high figure compared to Ethereum's 15 TPS and Bitcoin's 4 TPS. It does this while providing the infrastructure required to develop and launch decentralized applications (DApps). Notably, these functionalities have elevated Cardano's popularity in the crypto community.

ADA tokens are used to pay transaction fees, and users can also stake their ADA tokens to receive ADA-denominated yields. In the future, holders can use their ADA tokens to participate in governance-related processes. When this happens, ADA holders will become the major stakeholders of the Cardano economy and will collectively decide on the future of the blockchain.

Over the years, Cardano has emerged as one of the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization due to its sophisticated blockchain architecture and the endless potential it offers as regards blockchain scalability.

What is Cardano's Alonzo upgrade?

The Alonzo upgrade was one of the most significant enhancements to the Cardano network, adding smart contract capabilities. It was implemented on the Mainnet in September 2021 and furthered its aim of competing with Ethereum, the world's leading smart contract platform. The introduction of smart contracts laid the path for developers to build various applications on Cardano and even mint non-fungible tokens (NFTs), expanding the network's capabilities in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.

What is Cardano's Vasil upgrade?

Another significant development for the Cardano ecosystem was the Vasil upgrade. Named after Vasil Dabov, a Bulgarian mathematician and former Cardano contributor who passed away in December 2021, the upgrade aims to enhance the network's capabilities. While the upgrade was initially scheduled for June 2022, it was delayed to September 22, 2022, a week after Ethereum, Cardano's biggest competitor, switched to a PoS network.

The Vasil upgrade enhanced Cardano's programming language Plutus, enabling developers to build dApps with greater speed, transactional capability, and powerful scripts. The upgrade also introduced diffusion pipelining, which streamlined the sharing of new blocks with network participants, ensuring that blocks can be shared in the network within five seconds of their creation. The Vasil upgrade was implemented as a hard fork and aimed to enhance the network's throughput and experience for all users.

ADA price and tokenomics

ADA has a max supply of 45 billion tokens, and 34.18 billion ADA tokens were already in circulation by September 2022. Initially, ADA was distributed through an initial coin offering (ICO) in which 25.9 billion ADA tokens were sold in five rounds of public sales for around $79.2 million.

A total of 5.18 billion ADA tokens, or 20 percent of the circulating supply of 25.9 billion, was distributed among the three entities responsible for the development of Cardano. They are Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK), the Cardano Foundation, and Emurgo. IOHK received 2.46 billion tokens, while Emurgo and the Cardano Foundation received 2.07 billion and 640 million ADA tokens, respectively.

Therefore, 31.11 billion ADA tokens were in circulation at Cardano's official launch, and the remaining 13.88 billion ADA tokens were set aside as a reserve to incentivize and reward stakers. The primary distribution mechanism of ADA is its staking mechanism. Like most blockchain solutions, Cardano runs an incentive-based economy designed to encourage participants to contribute positively to the growth and safety of the ecosystem.

Specifically, stakers are rewarded with ADA tokens as part of the mechanisms to encourage users to participate in the transaction validation process. In essence, staking doubles as a token emission system for Cardano as newly issued coins are periodically allocated to successful stakers. This will continue until 45 billion ADA coins are in circulation.

As mentioned earlier, the supply cap of ADA is 45 billion tokens, with approximately 34.18 billion tokens already in circulation. Considering that 31.1 billion ADA was allocated to various entities at the launch of Cardano, it is safe to say that around 2.9 billion ADA has been distributed via the staking mechanism.

About the founders

Cardano was launched in 2017 by founder Charles Hoskinson. Although Hoskinson started researching and building Cardano in 2015, the project and its native token, ADA, did not officially launch until 2017.

Before this, Hoskinson was heavily involved in creating Ethereum as one of its co-founders. He left the project due to differences in ideologies over the future of the network. Hoskinson reportedly wanted to accept venture capital and turn Ethereum into a for-profit project, while Vitalik Buterin wanted to keep it running as a non-profit.

Former Ethereum colleague Jeremy Wood approached Hoskinson soon after, and the two started Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK) in 2015. IOHK is an engineering company that primarily focuses on the development of Cardano while helping to build cryptocurrencies and blockchains for academic institutions, enterprises, and government entities.

In addition to being a contributor to Ethereum, Hoskinson was the founding chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation's education committee. He also established the Cryptocurrency Research Group in 2013.

What makes Cardano unique?

One thing that continues to set Cardano apart is how its development has unraveled via an open-source and peer-reviewed model. Cardano is peer-reviewed, as all of the components that have come together to make up its infrastructure were academically researched by experts around the globe using evidence-based methodologies. As such, it has taken longer than expected for some of the features of Cardano to come to life. This is due to the strict scrutiny that each upgrade must undergo before implementation.

Disclaimer

The social content on this page ("Content"), including but not limited to tweets and statistics provided by LunarCrush, is sourced from third parties and provided "as is" for informational purposes only. OKX does not guarantee the quality or accuracy of the Content, and the Content does not represent the views of OKX. It is not intended to provide (i) investment advice or recommendation; (ii) an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or hold digital assets; or (iii) financial, accounting, legal or tax advice. Digital assets, including stablecoins and NFTs, involve a high degree of risk, can fluctuate greatly. The price and performance of the digital assets are not guaranteed and may change without notice.

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Market cap
$28.56B #10
Circulating supply
36.52B / 45B
All-time high
$3.099
24h volume
$1.75B
3.9 / 5
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