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Layer 1

Cardano

A research led chain that ships slowly and formally verifies as it goes.

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Networks
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By the Orca Crypto teamUpdated 2026-09-28How we check this5 min readReference
The short answer

A research led chain that ships slowly and formally verifies as it goes. Cardano publishes peer reviewed research before writing code. That makes it slower to ship and unusually careful about what it does ship.

Live market data

LiveCoinGecko
Price
$0.2431
-3.66% 24h
Market cap
$9.12B
24h volume
$660.97M
Rank
#17
All time high
$3.09

Prices as of September 29, 2026, replaced by live figures as the page loads. Prices move constantly and are for orientation only.

What Cardano is for

Cardano publishes peer reviewed research before writing code. That makes it slower to ship and unusually careful about what it does ship.

Technical summary

PropertyValue
LayerLayer 1
Launched2017
ConsensusOuroboros proof of stake
ThroughputAbout 10
FinalityProbabilistic, minutes
Native tokenADA pays fees, is staked, and is locked as deposits

Block explorers

An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.

CardanoscanCExplorer

How to read a block explorer

Wallets that support it

MetaMaskRabbyCoinbase WalletLedger

What to be aware of

  • Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
  • Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
  • Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
  • Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.

Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.

Other networks at this layer

Same job, different tradeoffs. Each of these has its own page covering what it is actually for, who runs it and where it struggles.

AvalancheTRONPolkadotCosmos HubNEAR ProtocolAptosAll of them

Common questions

Why does Cardano ship so slowly?
By design. The project uses peer reviewed research and formal methods before implementation, which its supporters describe as rigor and its critics describe as a way to avoid shipping. Both readings have evidence.
Can you build DeFi on Cardano?
Yes. It uses an extended UTXO model rather than the account model most chains use, which changes how contracts are written and means developers cannot port Ethereum code directly.

Where to go next

Compare all networksHow the layers fit together.Block explorer directoryEvery chain, every explorer.Wallets by chainThe right wallet for this network.Mining and stakingHow blocks actually get made and who gets paid.

New to Cardano?

We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.

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