ADA is the native token of the Cardano blockchain. Cardano is an open-source blockchain platform designed to provide secure, scalable, and sustainable support for decentralized applications (DApps) and smart contracts. It was created by one of the co-founders of Ethereum, Charles Hoskinson, in 2017. Cardano aims to compete with and improve upon decentralized platforms like Ethereum, offering higher performance and scalability.

Cardano employs a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism called Ouroboros. Validators must stake a certain amount of ADA and are rewarded based on the quantity they have staked. This consensus mechanism is designed to ensure network security and encourage token holders to actively participate in network operation. Cardano is known for its scientific principles and research-based approach, widely recognized and accepted in the blockchain community.

ADA tokens are a fundamental component of the Cardano blockchain platform, facilitating value transfer and transaction fee payments within the network. They can also be staked to become validators, contributing to network security and consensus. The total supply of ADA is 45 billion.