ADA is the native digital currency of the Cardano platform, which is an open-source blockchain based on the Proof-of-Stake principle. Cardano is characterized by its scientific approach grounded in academic research and peer review in its development, aiming to provide a secure and scalable platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.

ADA is used to pay transaction fees on the network and to participate in protocol governance through staking, where holders of the currency can delegate their tokens to support the network and earn rewards. The Cardano project focuses on sustainability, interoperability, and transparency, making it a strong competitor in the cryptocurrency space, with a long-term vision to serve billions of users worldwide.