?>

The Beginner’s Guide to Cardano – What You Need To know

3.3 k views

Cardano provides one of the most secure cryptocurrencies by mixing a scientific approach with philosophy. Most probably, the future of mainstream crypto as we know it.

While miners inhabit most blockchain-based ledgers, Cardano amassed many mathematicians, scientists, and independent thinkers. Together they develop and support an open-source and patent-free platform where users can create and execute DApps and smart contracts faster on a multi-layer protocol.

Like most decentralized and highly-promising public networks that use blockchain technology, Cardano has its native asset. ADA is a utility token you can use on the platform and store in the community-developed Daedalus Wallet.

 Cardano is developing slowly but steadily into an innovative cryptocurrency with a development philosophy.

Cardano in a Nutshell

  • Cardano is a decentralized, open-source, patent-free platform
  • Cardano uses blockchain technology to enable the creation of smart contracts and DApps
  • Cardano was released in 2015 by two former Ethereum employees
  • Cardano uses scientific papers instead of a whitepaper
  • Cardano uses ADA as native crypto on the platform
  • Cardano is the first cryptocurrency to use a Proof of Stake protocol that is scientifically proven to be secure.
  • Cardano uses the Ouroboros algorithm to obtain Proof of Stake instead of mining.
  • Cardano’s ADA tokens can be stored in the community-created Daedalus Wallet.

What is Cardano?

Cardano is a decentralized public network that uses blockchain technology to enable smart contracts and DApps.

Cardano is in direct competition with Ethereum, the largest smart contract-supporting blockchain on the market.

Like its giant-size competitor, Cardano has a native digital asset in the form of ADA and a Proof of Stake-like consensus mechanism called Ouroboros.

Where Cardano claims to have a competitive advantage is its academically peer-reviewed nature. This fully open-source platform is named after Gerolamo Cardano, a famous Italian polymath from the 16th century. According to its creators, it is the only blockchain network to follow scientific philosophy in its research and development.

Cardano replaced the standard whitepaper that almost all cryptocurrencies release on their launching with a set of academic papers on which it bases its philosophy.

Another aspect differentiating Cardano from Ethereum is its versatile offer of applications and ease of use. The network can process transactions and smart contracts in a multi-layer style to enable users to develop DApps faster and more efficiently.

ADA is the cryptocurrency available on the Cardano network. It is a utility token that allows users to transfer and receive digital funds. Its creators believe that this crypto’s use and behavior on the market give us a sneak preview of how the money will look in the future.

At the time of writing, ADA had a value of USD 0.038545 per unit, and a market cap of USD 999,350,627, according to CoinMarketCap.

A brief history of Cardano

Cardano is the creation of Charles Hoskinson (one of Ethereum’s co-founders) and one of his former colleagues at Ethereum, Jeremy Wood.

In 2015, the two developers proposed a new blockchain-based platform for smart contracts and cryptos that would expand the use and understanding of the world of digital assets and applications.

Hoskinson and Wood established Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK), one of the major companies supporting Cardano’s development. In time, two others joined their efforts – Emurgo and The Foundation.

The developers raised almost $63 million for Cardano’s development in an ICO that lasted for nearly two years, between January 2015 and January 2017.

Cardano is the only blockchain-based network to have passed the official algorithm review at the International Cryptology Conference in 2017.

How does Cardano work?

Cardano works as the Cardano Settlement Layer (CSL), the balance ledger, and is the network’s top layer. According to the Ouroboros whitepaper, its developers consider it an improvement to Bitcoin and a cryptocurrency innovation.

Cardano uses Ouroboros, a Proof of Stake algorithm with additional features that make it completely distinct from other smart contract-based blockchains.

Ouroboros is a crucial element of the system that supports ADA cryptocurrency. Contrary to other algorithms, it removes the need for mining from the users. Instead, it uses mathematics to prove the validity of a transaction through a randomly selected stakeholder, which only has a proportional size to the stake.

Ouroboros is the first to develop a proof-of-stake algorithm that ensures complete randomness and optimal security. This process uses a multiparty implementation of a coin-flipping protocol, a cryptocurrency innovation.

Cardano also summarizes its entire development into an allegorical sequence called the Cardano Roadmap.

Staying true to the network’s philosophical and scientific approach to cryptocurrency, the Cardano Roadmap uses five divisions of development, each named after great historical innovators, as follows:

  •         Byron | Shelley | Goguen | Basho | Voltaire

These five stages are called eras and will develop in parallel but be delivered sequentially. They will include years of research, proposed algorithms, developments, and prototyping that will link academic discoveries with innovations in cryptocurrency to transform Cardano into the next generation of cryptos ready for mainstream adoption.

Each era in the Cardano Roadmap has a countdown to its release. Once an age is revealed, all of its content becomes accessible to the Cardano community. 

How to buy and own ADA

Cardano’s native asset ADA has a hard cap of 45 billion pre-mined tokens.

You cannot buy an ADA with fiat money. However, you can make an account on popular cryptocurrency exchanges online and exchange fiat currencies for other cryptos like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin. Next, you can use these tokens to purchase ADA.

Here are some of the best choices for becoming an ADA owner:

Where to store ADA

When it comes to storing ADA, Cardano offers a reliable solution with its Daedalus Wallet.

This storage option for digital assets is a safe, multi-platform HD wallet developed explicitly for the Ada cryptocurrency. You can easily install it on your computer, whether it is a PC or a MAC, and benefit from the following:

  •         High protection encrypted private keys and passwords.
  •         Protection against hacker attacks and malware
  •         The option to export the wallet to cold storage solutions like paper certificates
  •         Transaction assurance level monitoring

The Cardano developers are working on enhancement solutions to benefit from using ADA tokens and the ledger. These projects include:

  •         Support for Ethereum and Bitcoin
  •         A portable wallet for both iOS and Android-running smartphones
  •         The possibility for ADA holders to participate in the block generation process actively.
  •         An app store where the community can promote its locally-built applications

The advantages of using Cardano

  • Cardano uses Ouroboros – the first Proof of Stake protocol scientifically proven secure.
  • Cardano uses a multi-layer protocol to enable the execution of smart contracts and DApps concomitantly on different layers.
  • Cardano fulfills cryptocurrency’s main requirements by simultaneously ensuring its users’ security and the viability of its processes.
  • Cardano can quickly adapt to the upcoming changes in the cryptocurrency market through soft forks.
  • Cardano is open-source and patent-free.

The risk of investing in Cardano

Bitcoin coin symbol
Btc
Bitcoin
$62.547
price
red chart
decrease symbol0.84959%
price change
TRADE NOW

The development speed of Cardano is slow despite its promising potential and future success. The ICO that took two years to complete is a clear sign that while Cardano uses a scientific approach to create the most secure cryptocurrency to date, maybe overthinking its next steps dents its evolutionary pace.

Previous

Cryptocurrency Exchanges Most Appealing to Technical Traders

Next

The Beginner’s Guide to Stellar Lumens (XLM) – All You Need To Know

Written by

565 posts

Born and raised in Romania, currently living in Spain. Iulian discovered a knack for writing from a tender age, won some minor awards for fiction that didn't pay much.

VIEW AUTHOR

More author posts

WMA: Bitcoin Clings onto $62,000 Amid Extreme Market Volatility

Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $2,17 trillion. Bitcoin continues to trade at around $62,300. Ethereum experiences no changes and stagnates at around $2,400. XRP is down by 2%, Solana by 1%, and Dogecoin by 3%. Almost all altcoins are trading in the red, with very few exceptions. The DeFi sector decreased the total value of protocols (TVL) to around…

WMA: Bitcoin Tumbles to $62,000 as the Market Takes a Dip

Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $2,17 trillion. Bitcoin is down by over 5% to trade at around $62,300. Ethereum decreased by almost 9% to trade at around $2,400. XRP is down by 15%, Solana by 8%, and Dogecoin by 13%. Almost all altcoins are trading in the red, with very few exceptions. The DeFi sector decreased the total value…

Dypius Launches 3 New and Exciting Mini-Games with Direct Rewards on Base

Dypius delighted the gaming community by introducing three captivating new mini-games: Stone Crack, Kitty Dash, and CAWS Adventure. The games spur from the successful use of Base's secure Layer-2 technology and promise smooth, low-cost, decentralized gameplay. Players can already dive into the new Dypius games and compete in dedicated leaderboards and in-game rewards distributed directly on Base. Boasting cutting-edge graphics and engaging gameplay, these games deliver an accessible and rewarding gaming experience for all kinds of players. Stone Crack, Kitty Dash,…

WMA: Bitcoin Soars to $66,000 as the Market Sees Green All-Around

Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $2,31 trillion. Bitcoin is up by over 5% to trade at around $65,700. Ethereum increased by almost 4% to trade at around $2,660. XRP is up 11%, Solana 10%, and Shiba Inu 36%. Almost all altcoins are trading in the green, with very few exceptions. The DeFi sector increased the total value of protocols…

World of Dypians Reaches New Prestige Level by Making Binance’s Latest Industry Report

World of Dypians (WOD) - a unique, groundbreaking MMORPG, has been featured in the latest Binance report, “Navigating Crypto: Industry Map." Binance is renowned for its in-depth reports showcasing some of the industry's most promising projects. Featuring Binance's overview of the crypto ecosystem is a momentous event for WOD, a game that has been building through innovation and creativity to deliver unmatched gaming experiences since day one. Binance’s The Industry Map looks at multiple subcategories of the crypto industry, such…

WMA: Bitcoin Surges to $62K as the Market Prepares for Altcoin Season

Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $2,19 trillion. Bitcoin is up by over 4% to trade at around $62,700. Ethereum increased by almost 76% to trade at around $2,570. XRP is up by 1%, Solana by 6%, and Shiba Inu by 4%. Almost all altcoins are trading in the green, with very few exceptions. The DeFi sector has grown significantly,…

Publish your own article

Guest post article. Guaranteed publishing with just a few clicks

START PUBLISHING ADVERTISE WITH US

Browse categories

Explore trending topics in the crypto community right now.

Bitcoin

SEC Greenlights Multiple Bitcoin ETFs, Signaling Major Leap for Cryptocurrency Markets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made a landmark decision by approving 11 spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This move represents a significant moment in the cryptocurrency industry, marking a shift towards greater institutional adoption and accessibility for investors. The approved ETFs include products from major firms such as BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, Bitwise Bitcoin ETP Trust, WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund, Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust, VanEck Bitcoin Trust, Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin…

Bitcoin Should be Banned in the United States: Charlie Munger

Berkshire Hathaway’s vice chairman, Charlie Munger, called for a ban on cryptocurrency in the United States on Monday, similar to the one in China.  In an op-ed published with the Wall Street Journal, Munger argued that Bitcoin isn’t a currency, commodity, or security, but simply a form of gambling “ with a nearly 100% edge for the house. As such, the enactment of a federal law should ban such things from happening. Munger cited the Chinese communist party’s ban on…

Tesla’s BTC Positions Remained Unchanged in Q4 of 2022

According to a new earning report from automotive manufacturer Tesla, the company did not sell any of its BTC holdings in the fourth quarter of 2022. Amid speculations that the company had traded BTC during the testing bears, CEO Elon Musk revealed it was yet holding on to its BTC stash. Tesla Maintains Holdings After Initial Sell-Off In Q2 of 2022, Tesla opted to sell 75% of all its BTC. The car manufacturer received close to $950M in exchange. Notably,…

Here’s When Grayscale Debates the SEC in Court on its Bitcoin Spot ETF

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has marked a date for when Grayscale and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may present oral arguments regarding the approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF.  Each side will present its case at 9:30 am ET on March 7, with the SEC arguing against the product, and Grayscale arguing in favor.  Grayscale VS SEC The court date – revealed in a court order filed on Monday according to CNBC – is much earlier…

MORE ARTICLES

Ethereum

Ethereum’s Zhejiang Staking Withdrawal Testnet for Shanghai is Live

At 15:00 UTC on Wednesday, the much-anticipated Zhejiang testnet for staking withdrawal went live on Ethereum’s Beacon chain. Zhejiang will enable the testing of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4895 which allows for staking withdrawals. This is in preparation for the network’s next major update, the Shanghai hard fork slated to launch sometime in March. Users Can Make Simulated Withdrawals with Zhejiang In a tweet yesterday, DevOps engineer at Ethereum foundation Barnabas Busa gave details about the Zhejiang testnet slated…

Ethereum Devs Disagree Over Technical Tweak as Shanghai Upgrade Nears

Post-merge Ethereum users have been eagerly awaiting the commencement of the network’s next major upgrade, Shanghai. However, after over 3 months of prep time, it appears the Shanghai rollout isn’t going as smoothly as expected. What Exactly is the Shanghai Upgrade? In September last year, the much-publicized Ethereum Merge also known as the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade went live. Ethereum underwent some significant changes as its consensus mechanism transitioned from proof-of-work to a cost-efficient proof-of-stake system.  However, since the Beacon launch…

FTX Hacker Converts 50k Stolen ETH to BTC

Per a report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, the attacker behind the Nov 11 FTX exploit, is converting the stolen ETH to Bitcoin. There were muted fears the seemingly inexperienced perpetrator could dump all its ETH holdings. On Sunday, the attacker dumped 50k ETH on-chain, with ETH's price dipping by almost 7%.  https://twitter.com/chainalysis/status/1594349583416840199?s=20&t=pgvQHeVytI20eKQ1ls9bxw Hacker Moves 50,000 ETH to New Address Over the past week, the perpetrator had been steadily swapping the cryptocurrencies they had carted off for Ether tokens. This…

Censorship Concerns: 51% of Ethereum Blocks Now OFAC Compliant

According to new data, over half of the blocks on the Ethereum network now reportedly comply with the US Treasury OFAC’s standards. This comes roughly a month after the platform’s monumental merge update. Phasing Out Tornado Cash The Office of Foreign Assets Control is the intelligence and enforcement agency of the US  Treasury Department. Indeed, the OFAC administers and enforces US  financial sanctions. A prime example of this is the recent, highly-publicized ban on crypto mixer Tornado Cash.  According to…

MORE ARTICLES

Trading

How to Leverage Arbitrage Opportunities in Crypto Markets

Cryptocurrency arbitrage has become an increasingly popular investment strategy as the crypto market grows and evolves. Arbitrage involves taking advantage of pricing discrepancies between markets or exchanges to profit.  Investors can leverage profit opportunities by understanding cryptocurrency arbitrage while managing associated risks. In this guide, we'll explore cryptocurrency arbitrage and how it works. A Bitcoin-related example will help us illustrate the concepts of this strategy. What is Arbitrage and How Does it Work in Crypto Markets Crypto arbitrage trading is…

The Different Types of Copy Trading in Crypto

Are you interested in trading cryptocurrencies but feel intimidated by the complexity of the process? Copy trading is a great way to get into crypto without needing to be an experienced trader. With copy trading, investors can benefit from the experience and knowledge of more experienced traders, allowing even beginners to succeed. How does copy trading work, and which tips do you need to know to succeed? In this article, we'll explore all aspects of copy trading in crypto. What…

How to Spot an Unsafe Crypto Exchange

Cryptocurrency exchanges have become increasingly popular as they provide a platform for people to buy and sell digital assets. Unfortunately, not all crypto exchanges are safe or reliable.  With the rise of cybercrime and fraud, you must learn to spot an unsafe crypto exchange before investing your money. This guide will help beginners identify and avoid potential risks when selecting a cryptocurrency exchange.  The Role of Crypto Exchanges on the Digital Assets Market Cryptocurrency exchanges play a crucial role in…

What Is Grid Trading in Crypto?

Crypto grid trading has become a popular strategy because of its ability to help traders capitalize on market volatility. Grid trading means you can produce consistent profits by taking advantage of price differences in different markets or time frames. By establishing buy and sell orders at predetermined intervals, you can take advantage of these fluctuations in an automated way. This guide will explore the different aspects of grid trading and provide an overview of its benefits, challenges, and more. Through…

MORE ARTICLES

Tech

Introducing una Messenger: A Paradigm Shift in Blockchain Connectivity

The digital landscape is set for an unprecedented transformation with the introduction of una Messenger, the latest innovation from web3 development powerhouse Wemade. This platform represents an evolution of the "PAPYRUS Messenger," serving as the cornerstone of the ambitious "unagi" initiative, aimed at catalyzing the mass adoption of blockchain technology. The "Unbound Networking & Accelerating Growth Initiative" seeks to bridge the divides between diverse blockchain services and networks, heralding a new era of interconnectedness. A New Frontier in Blockchain Communication…

Bit2Me Champions WEMIX Token in Pioneering European Listing

Bit2Me, Spain's premier virtual asset exchange, has recently broadened the horizons for cryptocurrency enthusiasts by listing WEMIX, the cornerstone token of the WEMIX3.0 blockchain ecosystem. This marks a notable achievement as WEMIX's inaugural venture into the European market, emphasizing the token's role in facilitating a range of blockchain-based activities, from gaming transactions to decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Launched with the intention to democratize access to WEMIX for the 450 million Spanish speakers around the globe, this strategic move aligns with…

CryptoVirally Expands with Fresh Crypto Marketing Offers and Cointelegraph Upgrades

In an exciting update for the cryptocurrency marketing landscape, CryptoVirally has announced a series of new entries and enhancements to its already comprehensive range of services. These updates, aimed at providing tailored marketing solutions for crypto projects, include new limited-time offers and expanded options for Cointelegraph publications. Limited Offers: A Game-Changer in Crypto Marketing  CryptoVirally's limited offers section presents an enticing opportunity for crypto projects to leverage high-impact marketing services at discounted rates. These offers, available for a limited period,…

Breaking Boundaries in Blockchain: WEMIX’s ‘una Wallet’ Sets New Standard for Multi-Chain Asset Management

The WEMIX Foundation has unveiled 'una Wallet,' a revolutionary digital wallet designed to offer unparalleled convenience and security in managing digital assets across various blockchain networks. The announcement, made on January 17, 2024, signifies a new era in the seamless integration of multiple blockchain protocols, including Arbitrum, Avalanche, BNB Smart Chain, Ethereum, Kroma, Optimism, Polygon, and WEMIX3.0. 'una Wallet' is more than just a digital wallet; it represents the culmination of WEMIX's innovative efforts in the blockchain space. It serves…

MORE ARTICLES