ADA is the native cryptocurrency of the *Cardano* blockchain, a proof-of-stake platform founded by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson in 2017. Named after Ada Lovelace, a 19th-century mathematician, ADA is used for transactions, staking, and smart contract execution within the Cardano ecosystem. Cardano stands out for its academic, peer-reviewed approach to development, focusing on scalability, sustainability, and security. ADA holders can participate in network governance by voting on protocol upgrades. The platform is known for its layered architecture, separating settlement and computation, and for using the Ouroboros consensus algorithm. As Cardano evolves, ADA plays a central role in its mission to bring decentralized solutions to finance, identity, and social systems worldwide.$ADA