What Is Cardano (ADA) and How Does It Work?
Cardano (ADA) is a third-generation, proof-of-stake blockchain platform designed for
smart contracts and decentralized applications (
dApps). Launched in 2017 by IOHK (founded by Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood), Cardano emphasizes a research-driven, peer-reviewed development approach to deliver scalability, interoperability, and sustainability.
Under the hood, Cardano uses the Ouroboros proof-of-stake (
PoS) protocol, which selects
block producers based on the amount of ADA they’ve staked, consuming far less energy than proof-of-work networks. Its ledger employs an extended
UTXO (EUTXO) model that separates settlement (transaction tracking) from computation (smart-contract execution). This dual-layer architecture, including the settlement layer for ADA transfers and the computation layer for dApps, allows Cardano to offer predictable transaction fees, formal on-chain governance, and native
staking rewards for delegators who secure the network by pooling their ADA.
Who Founded Cardano and When Was It Launched?
After departing Ethereum in 2014 over a governance dispute, Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood co-founded Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK) in 2015 to pursue a more rigorously researched blockchain platform. Development began that year, and Cardano’s
mainnet officially launched on September 29, 2017, making it the first major cryptocurrency built on a proof-of-stake protocol and backed by peer-reviewed academic research.
Cardano’s evolution is structured into five named eras, each focused on a core set of features:
1. Byron (Foundation): Laid the groundwork - network launch, ADA transfers, and basic
wallet support.
2. Shelley (Decentralization): Introduced staking and delegation, shifting block production to the community.
3. Goguen (Smart Contracts): Brought native support for dApps and on-chain scripts via the Plutus platform.
4. Basho (Scaling): Focuses on performance enhancements and
layer-2 solutions for higher throughput.
5. Voltaire (Governance): Implements on-chain voting and a treasury system to hand governance fully to ADA holders.
Work on these eras often overlaps in development, and recent milestones include the 2024 Plumin
hard fork under Voltaire, which enabled fully on-chain governance and community-driven protocol upgrades.
What Makes Cardano Different From Other Blockchains Like Ethereum?
Cardano’s core architectural divergence from
Ethereum lies in its Extended UTXO (EUTXO) accounting model and dual-layer design. Whereas Ethereum uses an account-based system that tracks balances globally, Cardano’s EUTXO framework treats transactions like discrete “coins,” each with its own state, enabling deterministic execution and predictable fees. This is critical for developers and enterprises seeking certainty before deployment. Additionally, Cardano separates settlement (ADA transfers) from computation (smart contracts) into distinct layers. This two-layer approach not only eases on-chain congestion but also allows independent upgrades, so you can enhance dApp logic without interrupting ADA transactions.
Beyond technology, Cardano distinguishes itself through a research-driven, peer-reviewed development process and on-chain governance. Every protocol change is academically vetted before implementation, contrasting with Ethereum’s more iterative “move fast, break things” ethos. And since September 2024, Cardano stakeholders vote directly on network upgrades via its Voltaire governance module, bringing development decisions on-chain rather than relying on off-chain coordination. In practice, this means ADA holders share in both network security (via the Ouroboros PoS consensus) and future direction, whereas Ethereum’s roadmap remains more community-led and off-chain, reflecting its broader, more established ecosystem of developers and dApps.
What Are the Primary Use Cases of ADA Token?
ADA is the native token of the Cardano blockchain, powering its core functions and incentivizing network participation.
1. Medium of Exchange & Payments: ADA enables fast, low-cost
peer-to-peer transfers and merchant payments on Cardano’s high-throughput network.
2. Transaction Fees: All on-chain actions, including transfers, smart-contract execution, and token minting, require ADA for protocol fees, deterring spam and funding network upkeep.
3. ADA Staking & Network Security: Holders delegate ADA to stake pools under the energy-efficient Ouroboros PoS consensus, earning rewards each epoch proportional to their stake.
4. Governance & Treasury: Through the Voltaire module, ADA holders vote on protocol upgrades and treasury proposals, shaping Cardano’s roadmap and funding community-driven projects.
5. Smart Contracts & dApps: ADA fuels Plutus-based smart contracts and dApps, spanning
DeFi,
NFTs, supply chains, identity solutions, and more.
You can trade ADA on
BingX’s spot market by depositing
USDT (or another supported asset), selecting the
ADA/USDT pair, and executing a market or limit order via the platform’s user-friendly interface.
What Is Cardano Tokenomics?
Cardano’s
tokenomics are designed to balance predictable supply growth, fair distribution, and long-term sustainability. ADA has a fixed maximum supply of 45 billion tokens. As of April 2025, roughly 36.0 billion ADA are in circulation, about 80% of the total cap, ensuring broad token availability while reserving the remainder for network incentives.
At genesis, 25.9 billion ADA (57.6%) were sold to public investors, while a 13.9 billion ADA reserve (30.9%) was set aside for staking rewards and treasury funding. The founding entities, IOHK, EMURGO, and the Cardano Foundation, received 5.5%, 4.6%, and 1.4% respectively.
Ongoing ADA issuance and governance ensure network security and community-led evolution:
1. Monetary Expansion & Rewards: Each epoch mints new ADA equal to 0.3% of the reserve, distributing 80% of that to stake pool operators and delegators as rewards, with the remaining 20% allocated to the on-chain treasury for ecosystem development. This mechanism yields an annual inflation rate of around 2% that gradually tapers as the reserve depletes.
2. Treasury & Governance: ADA holders vote on protocol upgrades and funding proposals via the Voltaire governance system, using treasury funds to finance community-approved projects and ensure the long-term growth and decentralization of Cardano’s ecosystem.
How to Stake ADA Tokens on Cardano Network
Staking ADA is straightforward and requires no lock-up or minimum amount. Simply delegate your tokens to a stake pool and earn rewards every epoch (5 days):
1. Choose a Wallet or Platform: Select a Cardano-compatible
wallet such as Daedalus (full-node), Yoroi (light), or a hardware wallet paired with
Ledger Live or Trezor Suite. You can also use a trusted exchange that supports delegation.
2. Fund Your Wallet: Transfer ADA from your BingX exchange or another wallet to your staking wallet’s address.
3. Open the Delegation Center: In Daedalus or Yoroi, navigate to “Stake Pools” or “Delegation” in the wallet dashboard.
4. Select a Stake Pool: Review pools by metrics like performance, fees, and saturation (avoid pools over 100% saturation). Click on your chosen pool to view details.
5. Delegate Your ADA: Enter the amount (often your full balance by default), confirm the pool ID, then authorize the delegation transaction with your wallet’s spending password or
hardware-wallet confirmation.
6. Wait for Rewards: Delegations take effect after two epochs. Rewards accrue at the end of each epoch (every 5 days) and are automatically added to your balance; no need to re-delegate when you receive new ADA.
7. Monitor and Re-delegate: Check your wallet’s staking dashboard to track earned rewards and pool health. You can switch pools at any time by repeating the delegation process.
By delegating instead of running a pool node, you retain full control of your ADA while contributing to network security and earning passive income.
What Are Cardano's Transaction Fees?
Cardano’s transaction fees are calculated via a simple linear formula: min fee = a × size(tx) + b, where the protocol parameters are a = 0.000043946 ADA / byte and b = 0.155381 ADA, ensuring predictable, spam-deterring costs. In practice, a standard single-input single-output transfer averages around 0.17 ADA (roughly $0.10), while smart-contract (Plutus) transactions incur additional computation and memory fees on top of this base amount.
How to Securely Store ADA Tokens
For maximum security, you should self-custody your ADA in a dedicated
non-custodial wallet. The most secure option is a hardware wallet, such as Ledger Nano S/X or Trezor Model T, because your
private keys never leave the device’s offline environment, protecting them from malware and phishing attacks. Pair your hardware device with a trusted Cardano wallet app (e.g., Daedalus for a full-node experience or Yoroi for a light, browser-based wallet), back up your 24-word
seed phrase on a durable medium (like metal), and never enter it into any online form or share it with anyone.
If you prefer a custodial solution, you can securely store ADA on BingX’s spot wallet. BingX safeguards user assets with industry-standard cold-hot wallet separation,
multi-signature cold storage,
100% Proof of Reserves, regular
security audits, and mandatory
two-factor authentication on withdrawals. This approach eliminates private-key management on your end while ensuring deep
liquidity and rapid access for trading or withdrawal.
What Are Cardano's Upcoming Updates?
In 2025, Cardano’s roadmap centers on performance and governance enhancements: the Basho era will roll out Hydra layer-2 scaling alongside the Ouroboros Leios upgrade, introducing parallel block processing that could boost throughput up to 11,000 TPS, while ongoing work on the Leios protocol aims to dramatically increase network capacity without sacrificing decentralization.
Concurrently, Input Output plans to evaluate merged mining to enable Bitcoin users to interact with Cardano, and the Voltaire governance module will mature further, expanding on-chain voting and treasury management to steer protocol upgrades. These combined efforts aim to bolster scalability, interoperability, and community-driven development as Cardano pursues its ambition of serving a billion users by 2030.
What Makes Cardano (ADA) a Good Investment?
Cardano stands out as an investment due to its rigorous, research-driven foundation and energy-efficient consensus. Every protocol change undergoes peer review, formal verification, and academic scrutiny, unlike many blockchains built on rapid iteration, giving investors confidence in the platform’s security and long-term viability. Its Ouroboros proof-of-stake protocol consumes a fraction of the energy of proof-of-work networks, aligning with sustainability trends and lowering operational costs for validators and delegators alike. Meanwhile, an annual inflation rate that tapers from roughly 2% as the staking reserve depletes ensures predictable token supply growth, helping ADA maintain value over time while still rewarding network participants.
Beyond its technical merits, Cardano’s expanding ecosystem and institutional adoption bolster its investment case. Strategic partnerships, such as the recent collaboration with Brazil’s SERPRO to integrate blockchain into public administration, underscore growing real-world use cases. At the same time, ADA holders can earn a competitive staking yield (around 2.6%
APY as of April 2025) simply by delegating tokens to reliable stake pools, providing passive income and aligning investor incentives with network security. With on-chain governance via the Voltaire module, stakeholders directly shape Cardano’s roadmap, and upcoming scalability upgrades like Hydra promise to support mass adoption, making ADA not just a speculative asset but a vehicle for both yield and participation in a rapidly maturing blockchain ecosystem.