Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform that aims to allow “changemakers, innovators and visionaries” to bring about positive global change. The Cardano platform and its native ADA cryptocurrency have grown immensely popular recently for several key reasons.
Cardano’s Technology
One of the main reasons for Cardano’s popularity is its underlying technology. Cardano was founded by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson in 2015, who aimed to build a blockchain that addressed issues he saw in Ethereum related to scalability, interoperability and sustainability. The Cardano blockchain was thus designed differently than Ethereum and other proof-of-work blockchains like Bitcoin from the ground up.
Some of Cardano’s key technological innovations include:
- Ouroboros Proof-of-Stake Protocol – Cardano uses a unique proof-of-stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros that is less energy intensive than proof-of-work mining in blockchains like Bitcoin. Ouroboros allows everyday ADA holders to participate in validating transactions and securing the network by staking their tokens.
- Layered Architecture – Cardano has a layered blockchain architecture, separating the core components of the platform into two layers. The Cardano Settlement Layer (CSL) handles ADA transactions, while the Cardano Computing Layer (CCL) runs smart contracts and decentralized applications. This modular approach allows updates to be made smoothly without disrupting the entire network.
- Peer Reviewed Code – Cardano has an extensive peer review process and all code that is deployed on the platform is academically peer reviewed. This level of rigor results in high assurance code that is designed to be secure and reliable.
- Native Tokens – Users can create custom native tokens on Cardano without the need for smart contracts. This allows for easier token creation and reduces transaction fees.
- Interoperability – Cardano is designed to eventually provide interoperability between its network and other blockchains through a protocol called Sidechains. This will allow assets and data to be transferred seamlessly between different chains.
This advanced technology behind Cardano allows it to have significant advantages over older blockchain platforms in terms of scalability, sustainability, security, flexibility and interconnectivity. The focus on robust research-driven engineering gives Cardano the edge on innovation.
Strong Team and Foundation
Another contributor to Cardano’s popularity is its supporting organizations and the teams behind them.
Cardano is supported by three organizations:
- Cardano Foundation – A non-profit organization focused on promoting Cardano globally and standardizing, protecting and stewarding the Cardano brand.
- IOHK – A blockchain technology company contracted to build and design the Cardano platform until at least 2023.
- Emurgo – Invests in startups building on Cardano and provides commercial ventures and integration services to support Cardano adoption.
The strong set of partners invested in Cardano’s development and real-world usage creates confidence in the platform and its roadmap. Furthermore, Cardano was founded by Charles Hoskinson, who is a renowned mathematician and tech entrepreneur. Along with several other skilled engineers and researchers, Hoskinson leads IOHK’s development of Cardano.
This rock-solid foundation of technical leadership and aligned supporting organizations drive continuous innovation on the platform.
Significant Community
The Cardano community has grown exponentially since the blockchain’s launch, now numbering over 1 million worldwide users. The active & engaged community is a key factor driving Cardano’s popularity for several reasons:
- Innovation – Cardano’s open source nature means much of the innovation on the platform comes from community developers building novel applications and services.
- Feedback – The community provides valuable feedback to the Cardano Foundation and IOHK to help further develop and refine the blockchain.
- Adoption – Grassroots advocacy by the community helps drive mainstream Cardano and ADA adoption.
- Participation – The community directly powers the platform through activities like staking ADA, validating transactions, and voting on Cardano development fund use cases.
Overall, Cardano’s vibrant community creates a positive cycle that reinforces the platform’s growth and popularity.
Real-World Use Cases
Unlike many emerging blockchain platforms, Cardano already has several active real-world use cases beyond just cryptocurrency transactions. These help highlight Cardano’s utility and fuel its popularity growth. Some examples include:
- Supply Chain Tracking – Cardano’s blockchain is used by companies like Beefchain to track food products through the supply chain, enabling transparency and accountability.
- Credentialing – The blockchain verifies academic credentials for students in the developing world via partnerships with institutions like Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University.
- Financial Services – Emurgo partnered with over 100 banks in March 2021 to build commercial decentralized applications on Cardano for core banking services.
- Identity Management – Cardano’s Atala PRISM framework enables secure and private identity solutions for tasks like authentication and authorization.
- Agritech – Cardano applications help tackle challenges in agriculture. For example, tracking freshness and origin of agro-products or enabling crop insurance payouts based on weather data.
Cardano is thus being applied to solve real problems and create tangible value, proving its use beyond speculative investment.
ADA Cryptocurrency Utility
As the native token of the Cardano blockchain, ADA has proliferated due to the platform’s growth and its own inherent utility and perks.
Some of the aspects that make ADA valuable include:
- Staking – ADA holders can earn around 5% annual rewards for staking their tokens and participating in the Cardano network consensus.
- Network Fees – As a native token, ADA is used to pay fees for executing transactions and deploying smart contracts on the Cardano blockchain.
- Governance Rights – ADA token holders have governance rights on the Cardano blockchain and can vote on platform improvement proposals.
- Liquidity & Listings – ADA has amassed significant trading volume and market liquidity. It is listed on all major exchanges including Coinbase, Binance, Kraken and KuCoin.
- Fixed Supply – ADA has a maximum supply capped at 45 billion. The fixed token supply without mining creates scarcity and potential value accrual.
By having multiple practical uses and advantages intrinsic to ADA, there are strong incentives for ownership that boosts the token’s popularity.
| Market Ranking | 7 |
| Current Price | $0.40 |
| Market Cap | $13.5 Billion |
| Circulating Supply | 33.1 Billion ADA |
| Max Supply | 45 Billion ADA |
ADA cryptocurrency statistics (as of October 2022)
This combination of fixed supply coupled with rising utility has caused ADA’s popularity as an investment asset to skyrocket. It is now one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies globally by market capitalization.
Rapid Development Activity
Cardano is one of the fastest developing blockchain platforms, with multiple updates and improvements launched each year. The rapid pace of development enhances Cardano’s capabilities and utility exponentially. Some major platform upgrades and integrations added recently include:
- Basho – Improved scalability and network performance via Hydra, sharding, sidechains etc.
- Voltaire – On-chain governance allowing community votes on Cardano Improvement Proposals
- Mithril – Stronger security guarantees and protections against threats like quantum hacking
- Allegra – Added native token building capability and greater smart contract flexibility
- Goguen – Smart contracts integration, enabling decentralized applications on Cardano
- IELE VM – New virtual machine for faster smart contract execution
- Daedalus Wallet – Official Cardano desktop wallet with full node integration
- YOROI Wallet – Lightweight web, desktop and mobile wallet for ADA
- Adrestia – APIs and SDKs to make Cardano integration easy for developers
This torrent of new features and partnerships introduces new possibilities and drives interest in the platform.
Effective Marketing & Communication
IOHK and the Cardano Foundation conduct extensive marketing and communications campaigns that have significantly boosted the blockchain’s visibility. Some initiatives include:
- Informative Youtube videos covering Cardano development updates, news and education
- Active social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and other channels
- Sponsorships of high visibility events like UFC fights to showcase brand to new audiences
- PR outreach leading to major media coverage of Cardano across crypto and mainstream outlets
- Vibrant ambassador program with over 200 ambassadors globally promoting Cardano locally
- Engaging whycardano education site explaining Cardano’s purpose and vision
- Dynamic roadmap site with progress visualization and updates
- Educational content and thought leadership articles on IOHK Insights blog
This comprehensive marketing and education around Cardano gets the blockchain in front of new users and builds excitement.
Conclusion
Cardano has quickly become one of the most popular and adopted blockchain platforms due to its advanced technology, visionary leadership, real-world utility, engaging community, and effective marketing. With its relentless development activity, strong network effects and expanding capabilities, Cardano is poised to see its popularity continue rising globally as a new decentralized future unfolds.
