Cardano

What it does

Current usage snapshot

The homepage reported 103 curated apps to explore and nine years on mainnet in a snapshot covering October 1–31, 2026.checked 14 Nov 2026

Fees

Transaction fees follow a fixed protocol formula rather than an auction.checked 14 Nov 2026

Governance

Community governance includes Delegated Representatives, stake-pool operators, and a Constitutional Committee.checked 14 Nov 2026

Learning resources

Cardano.org provides a five-stage learning path from beginner topics to advanced research, data, courses, and developer material.checked 14 Nov 2026

Network consensus

Cardano uses Ouroboros proof-of-stake consensus, with stake pools selected according to delegated ada.checked 14 Nov 2026

Research and implementation

Cardano says its protocols are based on peer-reviewed research and formal methods, and its node is written in Haskell.checked 14 Nov 2026

Staking

Stake-pool delegation is non-custodial, has no lock-up period or minimum delegation amount, and has no slashing penalty.checked 14 Nov 2026

Tokens and smart contracts

Cardano supports native tokens and smart contracts; creating or transferring a token does not require a smart contract.checked 14 Nov 2026

Use cases

Cardano is presented for individuals, businesses, and public-sector use cases including payments, staking, token issuance, supply-chain data, and digital identity.checked 14 Nov 2026

Wallet disclaimer

Wallet listings are informational only and are not endorsed or approved by Cardano.org.checked 14 Nov 2026

Wallet ecosystem

The official wallet finder lists wallets for web, desktop, mobile, and browser extensions, with capabilities such as staking, governance, and dApp connectivity.checked 14 Nov 2026

What it is

Cardano is a public proof-of-stake blockchain for sending ada, creating tokens, running applications, and voting on network changes.checked 14 Nov 2026