Cardano is a blockchain platform that aims to provide a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem for digital currencies. The native cryptocurrency of the Cardano platform is called Ada. Understanding how many Ada coins are left can provide insight into the long-term outlook for Cardano.
Total Supply
The total maximum supply of Ada is set at 45 billion coins. This supply cap was established when Cardano launched in 2017 and is hardcoded into the protocol. No more than 45 billion Ada can ever exist.
As of October 2022, there were around 35 billion Ada coins already in circulation. That leaves approximately 10 billion Ada still left to be released onto the market.
Release Schedule
The release of the remaining Ada coins follows a fixed schedule that will see the full 45 billion supply reached within the next decade.
Ada is minted every year through a process called “epoch boundary rewards.” An epoch is a 5-day period on the Cardano blockchain. At the end of each epoch, newly minted Ada enters circulation as block rewards to stakeholders who help validate transactions.
The amount of Ada minted per epoch decreases every year. Here is the release schedule for the remaining Ada supply:
| Year | Ada Minted Per Epoch |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 530,000 |
| 2023 | 500,000 |
| 2024 | 470,000 |
| 2025 | 440,000 |
| 2026 | 410,000 |
| 2027 | 380,000 |
| 2028 | 350,000 |
| 2029 | 320,000 |
| 2030 | 290,000 |
| 2031 | 260,000 |
| 2032 | 230,000 |
Based on this emission schedule, it will take about 8-10 years for the full 45 billion supply to enter circulation. By 2030, the minting will taper off significantly.
Implications for Cardano
The controlled release of the remaining Ada supply has some important implications for the Cardano ecosystem:
Inflation Rate Declines Over Time
With the number of new coins minted decreasing every year, the inflation rate of Ada will keep going down. This counters concerns about uncontrolled inflation devaluing the currency.
Incentives for Staking
The block rewards for epoch boundary commitments provide an incentive to participate in staking on Cardano. Staking helps secure the network in a decentralized way.
Rising Value Potential
As the pace of new Ada entering circulation slows down, combined with increasing demand growth, basic economic theory predicts the potential for Ada’s value to increase over the long-term.
Decentralized Governance
Cardano has mechanisms for decentralized governance. This allows the community to vote on any future changes to the release schedule if needed. However, the existing schedule is expected to remain in place.
Conclusion
In summary, out of the total 45 billion Ada supply, there is an estimated 10 billion still left to be released. This remaining supply will enter circulation gradually over the next 8-10 years through a fixed tapering emission schedule. The controlled release has advantages for curbing inflation and providing staking rewards. As the pace of new supply slows down in the 2030s, basic economics points to favorable conditions for the value of Ada to potentially rise further. Cardano’s approach is designed to create a stable and sustainable environment to support widespread adoption.