Cardano (ADA) is an open-source Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain network, based on a wide array of design components that include a dApp development platform, multi-asset supported ledger and verifiable smart contracts. Cardano’s inception and continued development are based on an extensive body of academic research, chiefly among them Ouroboros: A Provably Secure Proof of Stake Blockchain Protocol; this fact is often used to distinguish the project from other competing blockchain protocols. The transaction ledger utilizes a modified version of UTXO to accommodate support for smart contracts, which is currently under development.