Rank #10

Cardano (ADA)

Research-driven blockchain for secure, sustainable transactions

Overview

Cardano (ADA) is a research-driven blockchain platform focused on security, scalability, and sustainability through rigorous academic research and formal verification. Launched in 2017, it uses Proof-of-Stake consensus (Ouroboros), enabling energy-efficient operation and high decentralization.

Why It Matters for Crypto Barter:

Cardano's strong security model, low fees, and research-backed design make it reliable for secure, sustainable crypto-to-crypto barters.

Key Facts

Symbol

ADA

Created By

Charles Hoskinson

Launch Date

September 2017

Consensus

Ouroboros PoS

Total Supply

Max 45B

Rank

#10

Going Deeper on Cardano

Extended UTXO (eUTXO)

Cardano builds on Bitcoin's UTXO model. Each output can also carry tokens and a small piece of data (a datum), so smart contracts run on UTXOs and your wallet knows the exact result and fee before you sign.

Native assets and min-ADA

Tokens on Cardano are tracked by the ledger itself, not by a separate smart contract. Every output holding tokens must also carry a small amount of ADA (often about 1–1.5 ADA). It travels with the tokens and comes back when they move again.

Staking without locking

You delegate your wallet to a stake pool. Your ADA never leaves your wallet and stays spendable, with no lock-up and no slashing. Registering your stake key takes a 2 ADA deposit that you get back if you deregister. Rewards are paid every epoch (5 days).

Fees and timing

Fees are small and based on transaction size, shown before you sign. Blocks arrive about every 20 seconds, and many exchanges wait about 15 confirmations (around 5 minutes).

Hydra (Layer 2)

Hydra opens off-chain 'heads' where a group of participants can transact quickly and cheaply, then settle the final result back on Cardano's Layer 1.

ADA Handles and look-alike scams

An ADA Handle ($name) is a readable name that points to an address. Scammers register names one letter off from real ones, so always confirm the address a handle resolves to before you send.

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