You’ve heard of Bitcoin, Ethereum, but have you heard of Cardano? Learn about Cardano below and where to invest in this blockchain network.

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What Is Cardano (ADA)?

Cardano was founded in 2014 by Charles Hoskinson, a former Ethereum developer. The Cardano blockchain protocol uses Ouroboros, an open source and proof-of-stake algorithm that determines how new blocks are added to the Cardano network.

The Cardano protocol validates transactions, verifies their integrity, and contributes to the overall robustness and error-freeness of the system. Cardano employs a “proof-of-stake” system instead of a proof of work system, in which ADA holders (Cardano’s token) owners are tasked with validating transactions in exchange for a reward, this is known as Ouroboros. You can stake Cardano and get rewarded. This can be an appealing way to earn money, and the best crypto brokers allow you to participate in staking for free or at a low cost.

The Ouroboros blockchain platform uses less energy to verify transactions, making it more environmentally friendly. Cardano uses a measured and academically rigorous approach that is peer reviewed which means it has evolved more slowly than its competition, allowing for more stable future performance quickly making ADA one of the top cryptocurrencies.

Cardano works like the Ethereum network as it uses both decentralized apps and smart contracts, this is powered by their native coin known as ADA.

What is Cardano Used For?

Cardano operates several different features on its platform. It is more useful to think of Cardano as a token that powers various financial services rather than simply as currency, though that is one of its functions as well. The following are what

  • Smart contracts: Cardano supports smart contracts, which are contracts that automatically execute when the contract’s conditions are met. A smart contract is a computer protocol intended to digitally facilitate, verify, or enforce a negotiation or agreement. These contracts allow for credible transactions without third parties. These transactions are trackable and irreversible. Two parties agree to certain terms with a set of rules and guidelines written into computer code, which then automatically carries out those tasks as agreed upon by all parties involved. They can also be used in real estate or insurance industries as well as banking situations too.. Smart contracts enable trustless interactions between parties online.
  • Decentralized finance: Cardano allows people to bypass the middleman, such as banks and other financial institutions, and transact with other individuals or entities directly and without permission. Simply put, decentralized finance is defined as a set of technologies that help individuals and businesses perform financial operations without having to use a bank or any other centralized institution. Think of PayPal, but instead of sending and receiving funds through a web-based payment service, there’s a blockchain involved; all transactions are recorded transparently on that ledger with no one party able to control or manipulate them. The goal here is not only financial freedom—since your account isn’t owned by anyone else—but also security (and decentralization) through transparency.
  • Decentralized Applications (dApps): Decentralized apps (DApps) are internet-based programs that run on a P2P network. With decentralized apps, no single authority controls your data or interactions, so you don’t have to rely on an intermediary to handle requests and information. Instead, with DApps, you interact directly with whoever or whatever is on either end of your transactions. Cardano can enable lending, trading, asset management, insurance, and other traditional financial services as part of decentralized finance.
  • Currency: You can send and receive Cardano, as well as exchange it for goods and services, using a cryptocurrency wallet.

What is Cardano Worth in 2022?

According to CoinMarketCap, there were approximately 33.6 billion ada in circulation as of February 2022. The total coin supply is limited to 45 billion coins. This means that the circulating supply of Cardano is at 75% of ADAs max supply.

Cardano is similar to Bitcoin in that way, as Bitcoin supply is limited at 21 million coins. And it differs from Ethereum, where the supply is infinite but the annual issuance is limited. Dogecoin, another popular cryptocurrency, has an infinite total supply.

The current market cap for Cardano is over 35 billion In 2017, the price of ADA was $0.02. Its USD price was $1.05.01 on February 1, 2022. This represents a 5,150% increase.

You can find the live Cardano price today on Coinmarketcap.

Who Owns the Most Cardano?

There is no information regarding who owns the most Cardano, although it is speculated that the founder, Charles Hoskinson currently holds the most ADA.

Is Cardano Better than Ethereum?

Cardano is frequently referred to as a “Ethereum killer” because it aims to improve on the infrastructure of the second-largest cryptocurrency. These enhancements include significantly lower fees, better scalability, and higher transaction throughput and speed than Ethereum’s 1.0 blockchain currently provides.

What exactly is Ethereum?

Before we can say whether Cardano or Ethereum is better we first have to dive into Ethereum.

Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third party interference. Ethereum is how the Internet was supposed to work. It’s available for everyone to use, and it’s completely open source.

However, there are inherent problems with Ethereum that the Cardano platform aims to address and especially since one of the co-founders of Ethereum is the founder of Cardano, these criticisms hold weight.

Main differences between Cardano and Ethereum?

There are three main differences between Cardano and Ethereum that Cardano aims to solve five key problems.

Cardano’s architecture: The Cardano blockchain network is split into two layers: the Cardano Settlement Layer (CSL) and the Cardano Computation Layer (CCL) (CCL). The CSL layer is used for ADA transfers, whereas CCL supports smart contract functionality, which allows programmers to create decentralized apps. One significant advantage of the two separate layers is that you can upgrade one of the layer while leaving the other unaltered, or you can perform two separate upgrades with independent attributes. Ethereum, on the other hand, handles both ETH transactions and smart contracts on the same layer, which frequently leads to congestion and high fees.

Consensus mechanism: Cardano is distinguished by its unique proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm – the mechanism that governs how new transactions are agreed upon and added to the blockchain. Cardano’s proof-of-stake (PoS) system, known as Ouroboros, is more scalable and energy-efficient. Users do not have to mine tokens in PoS networks; instead, they participate in the block-validation process by staking the native token.

Approach: Cardano uses a scientific peer-review procedure before releasing any new product, service, or update. This gives users a higher level of trust and assurance than the vast majority of other cryptocurrency ventures. First, scholarly papers are prepared outlining novel suggestions and the technology that underpin them. These articles are made accessible for evaluation by computer scientists and other academics who are interested. This is known as peer reviewed research. Cardano has published more than 128 publications so far. Ouroboros is an example of a feature that went through this rigorous formal review procedure, which is currently ongoing.

This all aims to solve five main problems

Scalability: This is one of the largest issues with PoW systems like Ethereum. Cardano’s PoS is works in a scalable fashion.

Interoperability: Because they use various architectural and coding languages, most blockchain networks are self-contained and unable to connect with one another. Ethereum achieves interoperability by creating its own ecosystem of tokens that follow a specific standard, usually ERC-20. Cardano intends to create genuine interoperability, allowing anybody to shift bitcoin to Ethereum without the need for intermediaries or friction.

Sustainability: Every blockchain network requires continuing upgrades, but who can afford to support engineers eager to work on new features if the network is completely decentralized? With a treasury, Cardano hopes to solve this problem. When a block is mined, a portion of the ADA rewards is sent to a separate wallet, and anyone who wishes to propose network changes can submit a poll and request funding. At the end of the process, stakeholders vote on whether or not the plan should be approved. The Ethereum Foundation, on the other hand, is a centralized organization that has a significant impact on how Ethereum functions and where the network is headed.

Governance: Once the last stage of development, dubbed “Voltaire,” is completed, Cardano plans to host a stakeholder voting system in the form of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). With Voltaire, the Cardano community will be able to vote on changes to the Cardano platform. As part of a liquid democratic system, all ADA stakeholders will be allowed to vote or delegate others to vote on their behalf.

Philosophy: Cardano aspires to be a worldwide cryptocurrency ecosystem that reaches out to the unbanked, supports decentralized financial services, and improves the way the world works for everyone. They are focused on positive global change.

Ether’s current price is significantly higher than ADA due to the large infrastructure that Ethereum currently has. However, Cardano’s long term vision answers many of Ethereum’s current problems.

Will Cardano Be on Coinbase?

Cardano (ADA) is currently on Coinbase and trading at 1.09 with a 24 hour trading volume of over 1 billion dollars. It’s all time high was over $3.00.

Where Can I Buy Cardano?

You can currently buy Cardano on all major crypto exchanges, including Binance, Gemini, Kraken, Coinbase, crypto.com and more. Remember to look for ADA on your preferred exchange to find it.

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