Cardano

Cardano is one of the world’s leading cryptocurrencies and its recognition continues to rise. It is a third-generation cryptocurrency built, in large part, using functional programming language Haskell and deploys a unique proof-of-stake consensus system called Ouroboros.

The platform has put great emphasis on scalability, as well as providing an extensive ecosystem for developers to create smart contract driven applications.

Cardano differs from other major cryptocurrencies with its increased scalability, which allows more transactions per second and lower transaction costs. Similar to Ethereum, Cardano users can create tokens, design smart contracts and even participate in protocol governance by voting on proposed changes.

Cardano was created in 2014 by founders Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood. Additionally, there are three main organizations centered around Cardano's development - Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK), Emurgo & Cardano Foundation - that provide development funding, educational resources, business partnerships and promote sustainable growth of entire Cardano community.