Cardano (ADA)
Academic PoS blockchain. It is peer-reviewed, has slow rollout and controversial efficacy.
Cardano: launched 2017 by Charles Hoskinson (ETH co-founder). Peer-reviewed, formal verification, academic. Ouroboros PoS, 20s blocks, ~250 TPS. Smart contracts (Plutus) added 2021. DeFi is slow (TVL $700M vs SOL $8B). Critics call 'ghost chain'. Strong staking community (60% supply staked).
In plain words
Cardano was created by an Ethereum co-founder, with an academic approach (peer review, formal verification). The plan sounds solid, but development is slow. DeFi and apps grow much slower on ADA than on Solana or ETH. Strong community and high staking (60% of supply locked).
Example
ATH Sep 2021: $3.10 (cap $100B, #3). Mar 2024: $0.79. Nov 2024: $1.10 (Trump rally). 2025 ATH: $1.30. Staking: 60% ADA staked, ~3% APR. DeFi TVL: $700M (small vs ETH $80B).
Also known as: ADA, Cardano