#Cardano

Let's talk about #Cardano

**What is Cardano?**

Cardano is an open-source blockchain platform of "third generation" designed to be more sustainable, scalable, and interoperable than previous generations (like Bitcoin or even Ethereum in its early days). It was founded in 2015 by **Charles Hoskinson**, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, and officially launched in 2017.

The main goal of Cardano is to provide a secure and decentralized infrastructure for developing decentralized applications (dApps), smart contracts, and a variety of financial services, with a strong emphasis on academic research and peer review.

**What is ADA?**

**ADA** is the native cryptocurrency of the Cardano platform. Its name pays tribute to Ada Lovelace, the 19th-century mathematician recognized as the first computer programmer. ADA is fundamental to the operation of the network and has several uses:

* **Transaction fees (gas):** It is used to pay for transaction fees and the execution of smart contracts on the Cardano network.

* **Staking and network security:** Cardano uses a consensus mechanism of **Proof of Stake (PoS)** called **Ouroboros**. ADA holders can stake their coins (delegating them to "stake pools" or running their own) to participate in transaction validation and the creation of new blocks, and in return, they receive rewards in ADA. This contributes to the security and decentralization of the network.

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1. **Research-based and peer-reviewed approach:** One of the most notable differences of Cardano is its development methodology. Each stage and component of the protocol goes through a rigorous process of academic research and peer review before being implemented. This seeks to ensure robustness and security.