What is Cardano (ADA)? An introduction to Cardano
MoonPay explains Cardano (ADA) and its features, how it works, and why it's one of the most popular altcoins by market cap.
Cardano is a decentralized public blockchain and cryptocurrency project that is fully open-source. It was created out of a disagreement between the co-founders of the cryptocurrency Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin and Charles Hoskinson.
Recognizing the potential of a new blockchain platform, Charles Hoskinson and his company IOHK launched the Cardano protocol in 2017 as the first blockchain project to be based on scientific philosophy. The Cardano Foundation oversees the protocol’s development.
The Cardano blockchain is built on a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism called "Ouroboros" (the first provably secure PoS) that allows for scalability and sustainability while being energy efficient in comparison to its blockchain competitors.
The Cardano project has undergone several development phases, called eras. The initial era, Byron, focused on establishing the foundation of the platform. The subsequent phases, Shelley, Goguen, and Basho, respectively brought about the decentralization of the blockchain network, the integration of smart contract functionality, and scalability.
Voltaire is the next era of development for Cardano, and it will focus on governance and decentralization. The Voltaire era will introduce a system of on-chain governance that will allow Cardano's native token ADA (named after Ada Lovelace) holders to vote on important network proposals.