What is Cardano?
Cardano is a blockchain platform founded by Charles Hoskinson — one of Ethereum's original co-founders — and developed by IOHK. Launched in 2017, Cardano is distinctive for its rigorous, peer-reviewed academic approach to development. Every major feature is researched and reviewed before being implemented.
How does Cardano differ from other blockchains?
Cardano was one of the first major blockchains to use Proof of Stake from the outset. Its PoS protocol, called Ouroboros, was the first provably secure PoS system published in peer-reviewed academic literature.
💡 Cardano's staking is unusually accessible — you can stake ADA directly from supported wallets without locking up your funds. Your ADA remains liquid and can be unstaked at any time.
Smart contracts and the ecosystem
Cardano launched smart contract functionality in 2021. The ecosystem is smaller than Ethereum's but growing. Cardano has a strong presence in developing countries, particularly in Africa, where IOHK has partnered with governments on blockchain identity initiatives.
Cardano's criticisms
Cardano's careful, slow development pace has attracted criticism from those who feel the project overpromises and underdelivers. Its DeFi ecosystem remains significantly smaller than Ethereum or Solana.
The main DEX on Cardano — Minswap
Minswap is the most popular DEX on Cardano, with the largest liquidity pool on the network. Requires a Cardano-compatible wallet like Eternl or Lace — MetaMask does not work on Cardano.