What is expected in the development of ADA?

Cardano’s roadmap is focused on improving scalability, governance, and growing its ecosystem through these main projects:

1. Ouroboros Leios (Q4 2025) – An upgraded consensus protocol to handle more transactions faster.
2. Midnight Protocol Airdrop (November 2025) – Distribution of a privacy-focused sidechain token to ADA holders.
3. Project Acropolis (2026) – A redesign of Cardano’s node system to make it easier for developers to build on.
4. Hydra v1.0 Mainnet (Milestone-Driven) – A Layer-2 solution designed to enable very low-cost, fast transactions.

Deep Dive

1. Ouroboros Leios (Q4 2025)

Overview:
Ouroboros Leios is the next version of Cardano’s core technology that helps the network agree on transactions. It aims to increase the number of transactions the network can process at once, while still being energy-efficient and decentralized.

What this means:
This upgrade is positive for ADA because it addresses Cardano’s past limits on transaction speed, potentially making it suitable for large-scale business use. However, since it was initially planned for 2024, any delays might test the patience of the community.

2. Midnight Protocol Airdrop (November 2025)

Overview:
Midnight is a privacy-focused sidechain on Cardano. It will distribute its native token, $NIGHT, to ADA holders through a “Glacier Drop.” This airdrop will reach 37 million wallets across eight blockchains, focusing more on everyday users than big institutions (Input Output).

What this means:
This is somewhat positive — the airdrop could bring new users to Cardano, but the success of Midnight depends on how widely its privacy features are adopted. There is also a risk of regulatory challenges because privacy-focused technologies often attract scrutiny.

3. Project Acropolis (2026)

Overview:
Project Acropolis involves redesigning Cardano’s node software to be modular. This means it will be easier for developers to contribute and for different systems to work together. This project is part of a $71 million community-funded plan approved in August 2025 (CoinMarketCap).

What this means:
This is positive for the long term — making nodes more flexible could speed up development across the Cardano ecosystem. However, because it involves major changes to core infrastructure, there are risks in successfully completing it.

4. Hydra v1.0 Mainnet (Milestone-Driven)

Overview:
Hydra is Cardano’s Layer-2 scaling solution designed to enable very fast and cheap transactions, including micro-payments. Its full launch depends on reaching certain milestones funded by the $71 million treasury.

What this means:
This has high potential impact but has faced delays — Hydra is important for Cardano to compete in decentralized finance (DeFi). However, delays since 2023 have caused some doubts. If successfully launched, it could attract many developers to Cardano.

Conclusion

Cardano’s roadmap combines important technical upgrades (Ouroboros Leios, Hydra) with efforts to grow its ecosystem (Midnight, Acropolis), all backed by a significant $71 million community fund. While there are many positive factors, challenges remain around meeting timelines and regulatory risks, especially for privacy features. Will Cardano’s careful, step-by-step approach help it outpace competitors in the 2026 race to scale blockchain technology?

What updates are there in the ADA code base?

Cardano’s technology is moving forward with important updates that improve how the network works, making it faster, more scalable, and easier to use.

1. Ouroboros Leios Upgrade (September 8, 2025) – Founder Charles Hoskinson emphasized the need to speed up this upgrade to handle more transactions efficiently.
2. Community-Funded Improvements (August 4, 2025) – The community approved $71 million to support projects like Hydra, Mithril, and better node management.
3. Account Enhancement CIP (August 5, 2025) – This update allows decentralized apps (dApps) to charge small fees in tokens other than ADA, making transactions cheaper and smoother.

In-Depth Look

1. Ouroboros Leios Upgrade (September 8, 2025)

What it is: Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, called this upgrade “competitively necessary.” It’s designed to make the network faster by improving how transactions are processed and blocks are confirmed, without sacrificing security or decentralization.

This upgrade uses advanced cryptography to reduce delays, aiming to support more users and applications, especially in decentralized finance (DeFi) and gaming.

Why it matters: Faster transaction speeds can attract more developers and users to Cardano, strengthening its position as a leading smart contract platform. (Source)

2. Community-Funded Improvements (August 4, 2025)

What it is: Cardano’s community approved a $71 million budget for a year-long plan that includes:

• Hydra: A layer-2 solution to increase transaction capacity.
• Mithril: Lightweight clients that make it easier to run nodes.
• Project Acropolis: Improving how nodes are structured and managed.

Funding is tied to milestones, ensuring progress is tracked by the Intersect team. Goals include using less memory, making stake pools more efficient, and enabling transactions across different blockchains.

Why it matters: While this may not have an immediate impact on ADA’s price, these upgrades are important for long-term growth by making the network more efficient and developer-friendly. (Source)

3. Account Enhancement CIP (August 5, 2025)

What it is: This proposal lets dApps accept transaction fees in tokens other than ADA and allows locking of non-ADA deposits. It solves the problem of high minimum fees by enabling very small (micro) fees.

By changing how deposits are handled, this update bypasses Cardano’s rule that usually requires a minimum of 1 ADA per transaction output. Developers see this as a major improvement for user experience in DeFi.

Why it matters: Lower fees and more flexible payment options can encourage more people to use Cardano’s dApps, boosting activity and liquidity on the network. (Source)

Conclusion

Cardano is making big improvements focused on speed (Leios, Hydra), governance (community funding), and usability (Account CIP). These upgrades aim to help ADA compete better in fast-growing areas like DeFi and Web3.

The key question: How will these technical improvements translate into real growth for the Cardano ecosystem over the next 6 to 12 months?

Why did the price of ADA fall?

Cardano (ADA) dropped 0.73% in the last 24 hours to $0.858, even though it gained 5.87% over the past week and 7.09% over the past month. This recent dip matches a broader decline in the crypto market, which fell 1.18%, and reflects traders taking profits after recent price increases.

1. Profit-taking pressure – ADA rose 16.25% over the last 60 days, leading some traders to sell near resistance levels.
2. Technical resistance – ADA struggled to stay above a key price range between $0.86 and $0.89.
3. Market-wide dip – The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 44 (Neutral), showing cautious market sentiment.

Deep Dive

1. Profit-Taking Near Resistance (Bearish Impact)

Overview: ADA has faced selling pressure after an 18.23% rise over 90 days, as traders lock in profits near the $0.86–$0.89 resistance zone, based on Fibonacci retracement levels (Bitget analysis).

What this means:

• Trading volume in the last 24 hours jumped 40.71% to $1.72 billion, confirming active selling.
• Large investors likely reduced their holdings after ADA underperformed Bitcoin (+1.2%) and Ethereum (+3.8%) following news about SEC 401(k) regulations.

What to watch: If ADA can close above $0.892 (the 50% Fibonacci level) consistently, it could signal a return to upward momentum.

2. Technical Bearish Signals (Mixed Impact)

Overview: ADA was rejected at the 23.6% Fibonacci level ($0.957). Technical indicators show the MACD histogram turning negative (-0.0023) and the RSI14 at 54.27, which is neutral.

What this means:

• The price is currently between the 30-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $0.861 and the 7-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.837, indicating a period of price consolidation.
• A bearish divergence on the 4-hour chart suggests short-term weakness after ADA tested $0.90 in early September.

3. Altcoin Sentiment Cooling (Neutral Impact)

Overview: The Altcoin Season Index is steady at 50, while ADA’s market dominance dropped to 0.797% as investors shifted capital toward Ethereum, which saw a 13.44% increase in dominance.

What this means:

• ADA lagged behind other altcoins like TON (+9.8%) and DOGE (+10.5%), partly due to increased crypto activity from South Korea.
• Mixed regulatory news, including the Tornado Cash trial and delays in SEC approval for ETFs, has made investors more cautious about mid-sized tokens.

Conclusion

ADA’s recent dip is a normal part of price consolidation after outperforming Bitcoin and Ethereum in August. The 200-day EMA at $0.727 suggests the long-term upward trend is still strong. Traders are now watching for updates on the Grayscale ADA ETF decision expected in October 2025 and progress on the Ouroboros Leios network upgrade.

Key watch: Will ADA hold the $0.84–$0.85 support zone (which includes the 50% Fibonacci level and VWAP) to avoid a deeper drop toward $0.80?

What could affect the price of ADA?

Cardano’s price outlook depends on upcoming protocol upgrades, regulatory decisions, and large investor activity.

1. Major Protocol Upgrades – A $71 million community-funded plan aims to improve Cardano’s speed and usability, potentially boosting adoption.
2. ETF Approval Chances – The SEC is expected to decide on an ADA exchange-traded fund (ETF) by October 2025, with a 75% chance of approval, which could attract big investors.
3. Large Investor Buying – Investors holding large amounts of ADA purchased 200 million tokens in just two days, signaling confidence in the coin.

Deep Dive

1. Community-Funded Protocol Upgrades (Positive Outlook)

Cardano’s community has approved spending 96 million ADA (about $71 million) from its treasury to fund key upgrades like Hydra, which improves scalability, and Ouroboros Leios, which enhances the network’s consensus mechanism. These funds will be released gradually as milestones are met, with monthly updates and independent oversight by Intersect.

Why this matters:
These upgrades are designed to increase transaction speed, lower costs, and make it easier for Cardano to work with other blockchains. This is important for expanding decentralized finance (DeFi) and business use cases. Past upgrades, such as Alonzo which introduced smart contracts, led to price increases of 40-60%.

2. Regulatory Outlook & ETF Possibilities (Mixed Impact)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must decide on Grayscale’s ADA ETF application by October 26, 2025. ADA is classified as a commodity under the CLARITY Act, which lowers regulatory risks. Betting markets like Polymarket give a 75% chance the ETF will be approved, following the trend set by Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.

Why this matters:
If approved, the ADA ETF could bring in institutional investors, potentially driving the price up by 20-30%. However, if the decision is delayed or rejected, some investors might sell to take profits, especially since ADA has already gained 150% this year.

3. Large Investor Activity & Technical Signals (Bullish Signs)

Data from September 2025 shows that “whales” — investors holding between 10 million and 1 billion ADA — bought 200 million ADA tokens (worth about $172 million) within 48 hours. Technical analysis indicates ADA is testing a key resistance level at $0.86, with a “golden cross” pattern where the 50-day moving average crosses above the 200-day moving average, often a bullish signal.

Why this matters:
Large investor buying often precedes price rallies. Similar patterns in 2021 came before ADA reached its all-time high of $3.10. If ADA closes above $0.90 daily, it could push toward $1.07, the forecasted high for September.

Conclusion

Cardano is at a pivotal moment. Successful upgrades and ETF approval could push ADA’s price to between $1.10 and $1.30. On the other hand, delays or profit-taking by large holders might keep it below $0.85. With positive on-chain indicators like increased staking and token withdrawals from exchanges, combined with regulatory developments, the key question remains: Can Cardano’s improved network fundamentals overcome broader market caution following Bitcoin’s recent peak?

What are people saying about ADA?

The Cardano community is divided between hopeful optimism and cautious realism. Here’s what’s happening right now:

1. Price battle at the $1 resistance level
2. ETF rumors driving positive sentiment
3. Leios upgrade causing debate among developers

In-Depth Look

1. @Cardanians_io: ADA Stands Out Amid Market Drop – Positive Signal

“$ADA is the ONLY crypto in the top 80 in the green today, up 3.6%”
– @Cardanians_io (42.1K followers · 286K impressions · 2025-09-09 06:57 UTC)
See original post
What this means: Cardano is showing strength even when most cryptocurrencies are down. This could mean ADA is starting to move independently from the overall market, but it needs to stay above $0.94 to keep this momentum.

2. CoinMarketCap Community: Price Pattern Shows Uncertainty – Neutral

“ADA forms a symmetrical triangle between $0.91-$0.97 after $1 rejection. RSI neutral, volume down 38%.”
– CoinMarketCap Post (Quality Score 8/10 · 2025-08-19 12:12 UTC)
Read analysis
What this means: The price is stuck in a tight range, showing traders are unsure about the next move. If ADA breaks above $0.97, it could reach $1.03. But if it falls below $0.91, it might test $0.83.

3. @TapTools: Big Investors Getting Involved – Positive

“$1.5T asset manager FTI now runs Cardano nodes. Midnight airdrop integrates Ledger/Trezor.”
– @TapTools (89K followers · 2025-06-11 21:23 UTC)
View thread
What this means: Large financial firms are building infrastructure for Cardano, like running network nodes and supporting popular hardware wallets. This adds credibility to ADA, even if the price isn’t moving much right now.

4. @cardano_whale: Upgrade Delays Raise Concerns – Mixed Feelings

“Leios delayed too long – it’s competitively necessary” (via @Cardanians_io)
– Charles Hoskinson (2025-09-08 06:39 UTC)
Source
What this means: The upcoming Ouroboros Leios upgrade, which aims to boost transaction speed to 1,500 per second, is behind schedule. This delay worries some in the community because it could hurt Cardano’s ability to compete with faster platforms like Solana and Ethereum.

Summary

Overall, Cardano’s outlook is cautiously optimistic. Interest from institutional investors and growing network participation (+1.3 million staking addresses) are positive signs. However, the price is facing resistance around $1, and delays in important upgrades are causing some concern. Keep an eye on the $0.91-$0.97 price range this week — a clear move outside this range could determine ADA’s direction for the rest of the year.

What is the latest news about ADA?

Cardano is making steady progress by addressing regulatory concerns, expanding its decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities, and aiming for a $1 price target as key upgrades move forward.

1. Audit Clears Cardano of $600M Allegations (September 8, 2025) – An independent audit confirmed transparency in how Cardano handles voucher redemptions.
2. Decentralized Governance Celebrates 1 Year (September 4, 2025) – ADA holders have been actively guiding protocol changes for a full year.
3. $96M Treasury Approved for Network Scaling (August 4, 2025) – Funds allocated to projects like Hydra and Leios to improve Cardano’s infrastructure.

Deep Dive

1. Audit Clears Cardano of $600M Allegations (September 8, 2025)

What happened: An independent review found no evidence of fraud or misuse in Cardano’s voucher redemption process. The audit pointed out strong security measures, including transparent records on the blockchain and multi-signature controls.
Why it matters: This clears up doubts that have lingered and boosts Cardano’s reputation, especially for attracting institutional investors. While regulatory risks remain, this audit strengthens Cardano’s compliance standing.
(Source: Cardanians_io)

2. Decentralized Governance Celebrates 1 Year (September 4, 2025)

What happened: Cardano marked one year of allowing ADA holders to vote directly on protocol upgrades. Recent votes approved funding for Hydra, a Layer-2 scaling solution, and Ouroboros Leios, a consensus protocol upgrade.
Why it matters: This shows strong community involvement, with a 74% approval rate on proposals, reinforcing Cardano’s decentralized approach. However, only about 30% of ADA holders voted, indicating room for more participation.
(Source: Bitget)

3. $96M Treasury Approved for Network Scaling (August 4, 2025)

What happened: The Cardano community approved spending 96 million ADA (about $71 million) on key upgrades like Hydra, which aims to handle 1 million transactions per second, and Leios, which will speed up transaction finality. Funds will be released in phases as milestones are met.
Why it matters: While there’s always risk in delivering on big projects, success here could make Cardano a fast and affordable blockchain option. ADA has gained 137% over the past year, compared to Bitcoin’s 149%, showing cautious optimism.
(Source: CCN)

Conclusion

Cardano’s steady progress in regulatory clarity, community governance, and technical upgrades highlights its careful and strategic growth. Although ADA’s short-term price movements depend on Bitcoin’s trends, support levels around $0.80–$0.85 and increased buying by large holders suggest accumulation. The upcoming launch of Ouroboros Leios later in 2025 could be the catalyst that pushes ADA past the $1 mark.