$ADA ADA is the native cryptocurrency of the Cardano blockchain platform. Here's a breakdown of what that means:

* Cardano Platform: Cardano is a public, decentralized blockchain platform that focuses on providing a secure, scalable, and sustainable infrastructure for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. It's often referred to as a "third-generation" blockchain, aiming to address the limitations of earlier blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

* Proof-of-Stake (PoS): Unlike Bitcoin's Proof-of-Work (PoW), Cardano uses a PoS consensus mechanism called Ouroboros. This makes it more energy-efficient and allows ADA holders to "stake" their tokens to help validate transactions and earn rewards