𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱: 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗼 (𝗔𝗗𝗔)

Cardano is a blockchain, built with a research first, scientific approach and ADA is the currency used on Cardano, named after Ada Lovelace.

Cardano was founded in 2015 by Charles Hoskinson, who is one of the original co-founders of Ethereum, and Jeremy Wood. The network officially launched to the public in September 2017 with the beginning of its first development phase, called Byron. This era introduced the Cardano blockchain and its native cryptocurrency, ADA. Cardano is developed and maintained by three main organizations: IOHK (Input Output Hong Kong, now known as IOG), responsible for the platform's technical development. The Cardano Foundation, which oversees governance, community development, and partnerships and Emurgo, which drives commercial adoption and business integrations.

There is a max supply of 45 billion ADA, and no more can ever be created. Currently, 35.35 billion ADA are in circulation. The remaining will be released over time through staking rewards. This system incentivises users to help secure the network by delegating or running stake pools.

𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 & 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮
Block time is 20 seconds, throughput theoretical maximal capacity is 200 to 250 transactions per second (TPS) on mainnet; off-chain Hydra channels theoretically handle 1,000 TPS per channel, scaling to tens of thousands.

Energy useage is Around 6 GWh/year, dramatically lower than Bitcoin's 110 TWh, so it's over 99% more efficient .

𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:

Cardano runs on a proof of stake consensus mechanism called Ouroboros. Since the Shelley era (2020), ADA holders can delegate their tokens to nearly 3,000 stake pools. Since early 2021, block production has been entirely community managed.

60% of $ADA is actively staked, meaning the majority of token holders help secure the network. However, only about 8% of pools control 50% of stake, meaning most of the power is still concentrated among a small group. This happens partly because Cardano's protocol is designed to incentivise around 500 'optimal' pools (this target is called the k parameter). Pools above this size don't get extra rewards, which encourages delegation to spread out...but in practice, large pools still attract more delegators due to reputation and reliability. So, while Cardano is decentralised in structure and ownership, the distribution of stake is still somewhat top heavy, though ongoing updates aim to improve this balance.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝘼𝘿𝘼 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙:

🌍➡️ Smart contracts and DApps are a key part of Cardano's design, added in 2021, but they aren't the main use case yet. Adoption has been slower due to the complexity of its development tools and unique design, though the ecosystem is steadily growing with DeFi platforms, NFT marketplaces, and identity apps. While staking and Real World projects like education IDs currently drive most ADA usage, smart contracts could become a major value driver over time as more developers and users join the network.

🌍➡️ The main use of $ADA is for payments and rewards.

🌍➡️ Ethiopia is using Cardano's technology to give students and teachers digital IDs, like having a special school ID that lives on the blockchain. This helps schools and universities verify grades etc. Coffee farmers in Ethiopia are also trying to use Cardano to track where their coffee comes from.

🌍➡️ In places like Georgia (the country), wine bottles get a QR code so you can scan and see exactly where the grapes came from, right down to the vineyard. This is on Cardano.

🌍➡️ Startup Empowa in Mozambique is using Cardano to help families buy homes. They record payments on ADA, helping people build credit even without a traditional bank.

Charles Hoskinson recently announced that Cardano is integrating with Bitcoin through a new protocol called BitVMX/Cardinal, which will let users use Bitcoin directly in Cardano's DeFi apps without giving up custody. This means Bitcoin holders can lend, borrow, or trade using their $BTC on Cardano, securely and trustlessly. It could bring massive new liquidity to Cardano and position it as a key player in Bitcoin based DeFi.

The core uses of ADA are paying, enabling the recording of data, and earning rewards from staking, which do help to drive demand. When governments, businesses, and communities build real services with ADA, more people need it to use those services. That extra demand can push ADA's price higher, especially since the total supply can't increase.

While adoption is slower than flashier chains, it has been built for sustainability and long term trust.

#ADA #Cardano #Cryptolinhio