What is Cardano?
Cardano is a third-generation blockchain platform built on peer-reviewed research and formally verified code. It's designed to be the most secure, sustainable, and scalable blockchain in the world.
Why Cardano is different
Most blockchains move fast and fix things later. Cardano does the science first.
Peer-Reviewed Research
Every Cardano protocol upgrade is backed by academic papers reviewed by cryptographers and computer scientists. No shortcuts.
Ouroboros Consensus
The first provably secure proof-of-stake protocol. Ouroboros ensures decentralization without the energy waste of proof-of-work.
Plutus Smart Contracts
Smart contracts written in Haskell-based Plutus or the newer Aiken language. Formally verifiable, meaning bugs can be mathematically ruled out.
Voltaire Governance
ADA holders vote on protocol changes and treasury spending on-chain. No company controls Cardano — the community does.
Built for the Real World
Cardano targets financial inclusion in developing nations, digital identity, supply chain, and government systems.
Hydra Scaling
Hydra is Cardano's layer-2 solution, enabling thousands of transactions per second off-chain while inheriting layer-1 security.
Development Eras
Cardano unfolds in five named eras, each adding a new capability layer.
Foundation — initial launch, ADA transfers.
Decentralization — stake pools, staking rewards.
Smart contracts — Plutus, native tokens, NFTs.
Scaling — Hydra, Mithril, performance upgrades.
Governance — on-chain voting, treasury, DReps.
ADA — The Token
ADA
Ticker
45B
Max Supply
~3–5%
Staking APY
~20s
Block Time
Where to Buy ADA
Ready to get your first ADA? These are trusted, regulated exchanges.
Coinbase Advanced
Regulated US exchange · Available in 100+ countries
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