What is Cardano? Ouroboros, ADA and a treasury holding 1.4 billion coins

Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain that runs smart contracts and whose native cryptocurrency is called ADA. The network launched in September 2017, needs no energy-hungry mining and, since 2025, lets its users vote on how it develops and what the money in its shared fund is spent on. Anyone holding ADA can delegate the coins to a stake pool, keeps full control over them at all times and earns a reward in ADA in return. On November 13, 2026, one ADA cost about 0.15 euros.