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Is Cardano a Good Investment? Should You Invest in ADA?

By Tony Severino
Reviewed by
beginner

If you have spent time trading or reading about Cryptocurrencies, you may have asked yourself, “Should I invest in Cardano?” Cardano is an exciting project that has captured the attention of traders around the world. Before you put money to work, there are some things that you need to know about Cardano’s native token (ADA), Cardano’s ecosystem, and Cardano’s future. This guide also contains a valuable ADA coin price prediction you must read.

Cardano ADA: key points

First, you will need to understand some of the critical points for Cardano. The Crypto markets are full of potentially rewarding opportunities, but to do well over the longer term, it is wise that you understand some of the following information. That being said, you should also know that the Cryptocurrency world is young, and there is a bit of a moving target when trying to determine what comes next.

What is Cardano, and how does it work?

Cardano is a blockchain platform that processes transactions using the native Cryptocurrency ADA. The platform can handle various types of transactions currently, but the vision of Cardano is to become the “Internet of Blockchains.” This would include the idea of the ecosystem being able to allow seamless interchangeability between different blockchains.

It is also a peer-reviewed blockchain with heavy academic input. Cardano is considerably more stable than many competitors and tends to move more slowly and deliberately as far as advances are concerned. Traders have complained about this, but at the end of the day, it makes for a much more stable and reliable network, meaning that once all of its implementations are in place, Cardano could be a leader quite easily. If you invest in Cardano, you are voting with your wallet about the ecosystem’s future and whether it will be viable.

Cardano boasts a maximum token supply of 45 billion ADA tokens. The current circulating supply is 35,337,351,900 ADA coins. The vast majority of this amount was minted when the network launched in 2017, with 31.1 billion ADA created initially. The remaining supply trickles out gradually through staking rewards, which incentivize the community to help validate transactions and secure the network.

Critically for investors, Cardano has relatively constrained issuance rates, especially compared to rivals like Ethereum. Ethereum issues around 4.5% of its supply per year compared to about 2-3% currently for Cardano. This limits inflationary pressure on ADA’s price, allowing prices to better reflect growth in demand. While the token supply is much larger than Bitcoin’s, it is still relatively scarce for a leading smart contracts platform. Constrained emissions combined with increasing utility bodes well for building long-term value according to many analysts.

Cardano is in the top ten coins by market cap, and currently has a market capitalization of $21 billion. This makes Cardano one of the most successful blockchain projects.

Cardano roadmap: what’s going on with Cardano ADA?

Cardano divides its development into five eras: Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho, and Voltaire. Each of these eras is centered around a set of functionalities that the blockchain will see introduced. All these eras are designed and developed in parallel but are released sequentially.

In the Byron era, beginning in 2015, Cardano was created from the ground up using research and peer review. The Ouroboros protocol was used to form the consensus protocol. The main of the era was the ability to buy and sell ADA and saw the delivery of the Daedalus wallet, the official IOHK wallet.

The next era was known as the Shelley era, and its big jump was toward decentralization. The market then was starting to be run more by the community via delegation and incentive schemes. The reward system to drive stake pools and community adoption started as well. By the end of the era, Cardano was over 50 times more decentralized than many other large blockchain networks.

Goguen featured the addition of smart contracts. This allowed for the ability to run decentralized applications (DApps) on Cardano’s network. This allowed users from both technical and non-technical backgrounds to execute and create functional intelligent contracts. Plutus is a purpose-built clever contract development language and execution platform using Haskell’s available programming language.

Basho is an ear that was more about optimization and improving the scalability of the network itself. While previous development eras focused on decentralization and functionality, the Basho era is about making the network more efficient, using side chains as a sharding mechanism.

Voltaire will provide the final pieces for Cardano to become a self-sustaining system. The Voltaire era will allow voting on projects by the community by leveraging the existing staking and delegation process that started back in the Shelley era.

A major milestone in Cardano’s development roadmap was the addition of smart contract capability in September 2021 via the Alonzo hard fork upgrade. This enabled the creation of decentralized apps (dApps) and more complex financial transactions on the blockchain. Prior to Alonzo, Cardano only supported simple value transfers of its native ADA Cryptocurrency.

The upgrade opened the door for various decentralized finance (DeFi) products and services to launch on Cardano, including decentralized exchanges, lending/borrowing platforms, derivatives, asset management solutions and more. Developers are incentivized to build on Cardano thanks to generally lower transaction fees and faster settlement speeds compared to Ethereum currently.

As the DeFi ecosystem expands, it is anticipated that Cardano could capture a significant share of total value locked given its strong fundamentals. This in turn should dramatically increases utility and demand for the ADA coin for use in these financial applications. Overall, unlocking Cardano’s smart contract and DeFi functionality is a potential game-changer for its competitiveness and growth against rival blockchains. Exciting innovation lies ahead in this new era.

What is the Cardano Foundation?

The Cardano Foundation is an independent non-profit oversight body established in 2016 to act as the custodian for the Cardano network. Based in Zug, Switzerland, the Foundation works alongside IOHK and Emurgo to promote the growth and adoption of the Cardano blockchain.

The Cardano team has three core functions – to set standards and best practices for the Cryptocurrency space, drive adoption for Cardano through commercial partnerships, and shape legislation and regulatory standards. Some of its key areas of focus include sustainability, emerging markets in Africa and education systems. The Foundation is invested in building an inclusive ecosystem that solves real-world economic issues. Over the years, it has funded various Cardano community projects across the developing world and supported blockchain education globally. The overall aim is to facilitate public understanding of blockchain technology and enable positive social impact through the open-source Cardano protocol.

The non-profit structure and leadership from respected academics and business leaders have lent credibility and trust to the otherwise opaque Crypto market. The Cardano Foundation remains essential to the IOHK team in achieving their shared dream of financial empowerment and decentralization.

History of Cardano ADA price

Cardano’s price has been quite volatile, along with the rest of the Crypto world. The current price of Cardano ADA is 60 cents, up nearly 170% from 2023 lows. ADA price saw substantial growth from its bear market bottom as overall market sentiment finally turns bullish. Cardano’s price reached a low of 22 cents. The record high Cardano price is over $3 per ADA coin. Buying Cardano at current prices could capitalise on a potential rise in the near future.

What factors influence ADA price?

There are several key factors that impact the price of the ADA Cryptocurrency. Major protocol upgrades that expand functionality, such as enabling smart contracts or improved scalability, tend to increase interest and investment inflows. Broader Cryptocurrency market conditions also correlate closely with ADA price action.

Positive developments for rivals like Ethereum and Polkadot may lift all boats. Additionally, listing on major exchanges and partnerships enable easier access and thus higher demand for ADA coins. Macro factors like economic growth and regulatory clarity also play a role in determining investor appetite. Crypto investments from institutions and significant advancements in the Crypto industry itself could improve market trends that lift ADA prices along with other coins.

And speculation around the long-term viability of Cardano to capture emerging markets can greatly influence its volatile price swings as well. Fundamentally, increasing utility to deliver value and staking yields may promote stable, long-term ADA price appreciation. An improvement in trading volume could be a sign it is time to buy ADA again to add to a diversified portfolio. Always do your own research and consider both technical analysis and fundamental analysis before making any investment decisions.

Cardano price prediction

Cardano price predictions can be derived using a variety of techniques. Crypto market analysts and speculators also regularly come up with targets for Cardano’s price. Even artificial intelligence is being used to forecast Cardano price movements in advance. Let’s take a look at a variety of Cardano price prediction sources and the targets and they’ve provided.

Cardano price prediction 2024

With 2023 almost over, it is time to start focusing more on 2024 and beyond. The average price of Cardano in December 2023 is roughly 59 cents per ADA coin.

Technical analysis based Cardano price prediction

Using Fibonacci extension targets, a Cardano price forecast based on math and crowd psychology is possible. If Cardano ADA price can exceed its current all-time high, ADA prices can reach the 1.618 Fibonacci extension, which would be a target of nearly $16 per ADA coin.

Cardano price prediction from Charles Hoskinson

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson ambitiously believes ADA will rival Ethereum in market cap one day. This would require a price of $30+ per ADA token. While this is speculative, Cardano does aim to solve scalability and governance issues plaguing Ethereum so it’s within the realm of possibility.

Cardano price predictions from AI

Using ChatGPT and other AI models, the following Cardano price prediction was created:

Cardano price prediction 2025:

  • By 2025, if Cardano sees increased adoption and real-world usage, its Cardano’s price could potentially reach $2-$5. This assumes steady progress in development and uptake over the next couple years. However, regulatory uncertainty and competition from other networks could constrain significant price growth.

Cardano price prediction 2030:

  • Bullish long term predictions see ADA price reaching $10+ by 2030. This would require Cardano to see widespread global adoption and solve issues related to scalability, speed and fees. Bearish predictions still see $2-5 as a likely range unless development stalls or a new technologically superior network displaces Cardano over the next 5-7 years.

Cardano price prediction 2040:

  • Some ultra bullish forecasts speculate ADA tokens could reach $100 by 2040 if it becomes the dominant smart contract blockchain globally. However this requires very optimistic assumptions about technological progress and mass adoption on Cardano over the next 15+ years. More conservative long term predictions still center around $10-20 per ADA by 2040.

As with any Cryptocurrency, ADA prices remain highly speculative over such long time frames. Actual adoption levels, new competition, regulations and technological change could all significantly impact Cardano’s growth trajectory and token prices. Most experts advise to take exceedingly long term predictions with caution given how unpredictable the Crypto industry tends to be.

Is Cardano safe?

Generally, it is safe. However, it is also a Cryptocurrency; therefore, you should understand that there is much volatility when investing. However, it isn’t as volatile as many of its counterparts and has much interest in it, so this tends to lend a bit of stability to this market. It probably is worth noting that Cardano is one of the top ten Cryptocurrencies by market cap in the world, so this means that liquidity is abundant.

Remember that Cardano typically moves in the same general direction as Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two largest Cryptocurrency markets. Because of this, it is not immune to outside influence from the Crypto world.

Who should invest in ADA? Is investing in Cardano right for you?

The question of who should buy Cardano or invest in it is pretty open. It also depends a lot on current Caradno prices and overall market sentiment. If you are a Crypto investor trying to spread your risk profile to diversify, then Cardano makes quite a bit of sense. After all, it is one of the top 10 Cryptocurrencies in the world when ranked by market cap. Cardano trading can be an essential part of a more extensive portfolio because the future is unknown as to who will be the winners and losers in the Crypto world.

That being said, nobody should go “all in” into one particular Cryptocurrency, just as it’s not very wise to go “all in” on a specific stock. Furthermore, it’s vital that you understand that any investment is going to be based on whether or not you can afford to lose that investment.

Is Cardano a good investment for the long term?

While there is no way to know with 100% certainty, Cardano is generally a good Cryptocurrency investment. After all, it has a long roadmap, and much development is happening behind the scenes. However, the reality is that Crypto is still very young, and therefore it’s impossible to know the future. That being said, it is one of the top 10 Cryptocurrencies in the world, so it does make a certain amount of sense that it has a more substantial potential than most others to survive.

How to invest in Cardano? How to buy Cardano ADA

There are different ways to invest in Cardano, and part of how you go about it will come down to whether or not you plan on hanging onto the position for the long term or simply looking to take advantage of price fluctuations. The easiest way to take advantage of the market price fluctuations will be to trade Crypto Futures. This type of trading that PrimeXBT offers allows you to take advantage of price movement without taking actual custody of the Crypto itself.

This is much quicker; therefore, you can get in and out of the market without worrying about wallets. Furthermore, it’s easier to bet on the price falling in Cardano using Crypto Futures. The spot market can only be bought, and you also have no shot at leverage. Leverage in the Crypto Futures means you can make much more significant gains than typical holdings.

The Bottom Line: Is ADA a Good Investment?

To buy Cardano is to show a certain amount of faith in the future, not only in Cardano but Crypto in general. After all, it is one of the top 10 currencies in the world, and it does make a certain amount of sense that we would see Cardano take off during the next Crypto bull market.

According to many experts, Cardano is worth buying, but you must also understand that it is highly levered to the rest of Crypto. As of 2022, Cryptocurrency has entered yet another “Crypto winter.” The Cardano supply is limited to 45 billion tokens, so that does help bring in the idea of scarcity, but at this point, crypto itself is in trouble. However, as more adoption occurs in the Cardano blockchain and other blockchain ecosystems, it should float right along with another Crypto if history is any indication.

If you want to profit from crypto moves, PrimeXBT will continue to be your best option because you do not have to worry about wallets or custody. There is also leverage, which allows you to trade in much larger position sizes than the underlying cash in your account offers.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cardano still a good investment? 

While there is no natural way to know this, the reality is that the Cardano ecosystem is still very vibrant. Because of this and the possibility of broader adoption in Africa and beyond, Cardano could have a bright future. If you do decide to buy Cardano, be sure to do extensive research and read Cardano price predictions to get a feel for the possible minimum price or maximum price that ADA could reach.

Does Cardano have a future?

Yes, from all signs. The Cardano ecosystem directly competes with Ethereum. The ability to use intelligent contracts means that Cardano may be flexible enough to make it viable in the future. Beyond that, Cardano has an energetic team at Input Output Hong Kong, which continues to push the boundaries of Cardano.

Will Cardano increase in value?

There is no way to know the future results of Cardano ADA price, but as there is more adoption, there should, in theory, be more demand for the coin. That being said, it does make a certain amount of sense that Cardano will be one of the winners in the future, as it is peer-reviewed and so widely followed. Beyond that, Cardano has made inroads into various emerging market economies, suggesting that it has a little bit of a different roadmap than Ethereum, as it is trying to serve the underbanked, which is a massive slice of the world’s population.

How high will Cardano prices go?

Based on the Cardano ADA price prediction from above, Cardano prices could reach a maximum expected ADA price of $16-30. Minimum ADA price targets fall short of revisiting the asset's current all-time high. This of course depends on a variety of factors, such as circulating supply, trading volume, if Crypto is in a bear market or bull market, etc.

Author

Tony Severino
Tony Severino is a trader, technical analyst, and award-winning content producer with more than 15 years experience working in online media. Tony is also the founder of CoinChartist.io, a free educational platform. Leveraging AI and PineScript, Tony ...
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