Cardano Price Today: ADA to USD Live Chart
Live Cardano (ADA) price in US dollars, with market cap, volume, an interactive chart and a plain-English guide to what moves the price.
Cardano live market data
- Market cap
- $6.35B Rank #18
- 24h trading volume
- $231.17M Across all markets
- Circulating supply
- 37.57B ADA Max 45.00B
- All-time high
- $3.0900 Sep 2, 2021
- 24h high
- $0.18024 Last 24 hours
- 24h low
- $0.16918 Last 24 hours
- 7 day change
- -12.74% Versus 7 days ago
- 30 day change
- -27.30% Versus 30 days ago
Cardano price chart (ADA/USD)
What is Cardano (ADA)?
Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain that supports smart contracts, tokens and decentralized apps. Its currency, ADA, is named after Ada Lovelace, the 19th century mathematician often called the first programmer.
The project is known for its research-first approach. New features are described in academic papers, reviewed by researchers and then built, which makes progress slower than some rivals but, in the team’s view, more reliable.
ADA holders can stake their coins by delegating them to a stake pool. The coins never leave the holder’s wallet and can be spent at any time, and the pool earns rewards that are shared with delegators.
Key facts
| Ticker | ADA |
| Launched | September 2017 |
| Founder | Charles Hoskinson (co-founder of Ethereum) |
| Maximum supply | 45 billion ADA |
| Consensus | Ouroboros proof of stake |
| Smallest unit | 1 lovelace (0.000001 ADA) |
| Staking | No lock-up; funds stay in your wallet |
| Governance | On-chain voting since the Chang upgrade (2024) |
What moves the Cardano price?
Ecosystem growth
Activity in DeFi, stablecoins and other apps on Cardano drives demand for ADA. Total value locked and active wallets are the numbers traders watch.
Governance and upgrades
The Chang upgrade in 2024 and the Plomin upgrade in 2025 handed decisions to ADA holders through on-chain voting. Treasury and budget votes often make headlines.
Staking participation
A large share of ADA is staked, which reduces the amount available to sell on exchanges.
Regulation and fund products
Exchange listings, new investment products and US policy on altcoins affect sentiment toward ADA.
The wider crypto market
ADA tends to follow Bitcoin and Ethereum. Big market-wide rallies and selloffs usually carry it with them.
Cardano price history: key moments
| Year | What happened | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Development begins | Input Output (IOHK) started work on the protocol. |
| 2017 | Mainnet launches | ADA began trading and Cardano went live in September. |
| 2020 | Shelley era | Staking and delegation opened to everyone. |
| 2021 | Smart contracts arrive | The Alonzo upgrade enabled apps on Cardano, and ADA hit its all-time high during the bull market. |
| 2024 | Chang hard fork | On-chain governance went live, with voting rights for ADA holders. |
| 2025 | Plomin hard fork | Governance was fully handed over to the community. |
How to buy Cardano
Choose a regulated exchange
Pick a platform that is licensed where you live and lists ADA. Compare trading fees, deposit methods and withdrawal limits.
Verify your account
Complete the identity checks and turn on two-factor authentication.
Deposit funds
Add money by bank transfer, card or another supported method. Card payments are quick but usually cost more.
Buy ADA
A market order buys at the current price. A limit order waits until ADA reaches a price you choose.
Decide where to keep it
You can leave ADA on the exchange for convenience or move it to a wallet you control. Never share your seed phrase.
Risks to understand before buying Cardano
Cardano is volatile. Prices can move double digits within days, and long drawdowns are common in crypto. Only invest money you can afford to lose.
Exchanges and wallets can be hacked, frozen or shut down, so avoid keeping everything on one platform. Rules for crypto assets also differ by country and keep changing.
Cardano price FAQ
The live Cardano (ADA) price in US dollars is at the top of this page and refreshes every minute.
Typical triggers are market-wide moves, ecosystem news, governance votes and exchange listings. Recent Cardano stories are listed further down.
The maximum supply is 45 billion ADA. The circulating supply is shown in the live market data above.
Yes. You delegate ADA to a stake pool from a compatible wallet. Your coins stay in your wallet and you can spend them whenever you like.
The current all-time high and its date are shown in the live market data above and update automatically.
Charles Hoskinson, who also co-founded Ethereum, started Cardano in 2015. It is developed by Input Output, the Cardano Foundation and Emurgo.
Nobody can promise that. Cardano has a loyal community and a strong research focus, but it competes with many other networks and its price is volatile. Do your own research.
Learn more about Cardano
Latest Cardano news
Cardano Foundation Joins Swiss CMTA. ADA Tests $0.20
Cardano’s Midnight Just Plugged Into Ethereum
Cardano’s $5 Million Copper Bid Faces Huge Price Obstacle
Cardano Registers 100,000 Indian Farms On-Chain
Cardano Flashes Sell Signal as SuperTrend Turns Bearish
Cardano Prints New Record With $0.24 In Rotation
Other crypto prices
Content last reviewed November 12, 2026. This page is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose all the money you put in. Prices come from third-party data providers and may differ from the price on a particular exchange.