• Currently, Cardano is the 8th largest crypto on the market
• Cardano owners can use tokens for transactions and also staking
• One of the best exchanges for trading Cardano is Binance
• Cardano is one of the most actively developing projects
• Cardano  was created by American mathematician Charles Hoskinson

Cardano is the blockchain that specializes in transactions. It was launched in 2017 and implements a proof-of-stake protocol that increases its scalability and decreases fees associated with crypto transactions. The man behind Cardano is Charles Hoskinson, who is also co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, but left the project when he had fallen out with team members regarding which direction Ethereum should have taken. 

Cardano has its own native token ADA which was named after the first computer programmer Ada Lovelace. ADA is used to pay transaction fees made on the Cardano network. It is also given out as a reward for those who validate transactions by staking their ADA tokens. Currently, ADA is the 8th largest crypto on the market with a market capitalization of $10.7 billion. Despite only being worth $0.30 ADA gets its huge value from the amount of supply there is. Currently, the circulating supply of ADA is 35 billion tokens with a max supply of 45 billion.

“It [!cardano!] actually does the things that we’ve always wanted to do in cryptocurrencies, which is build a financial operating system for people who don’t have one, one that actually can compete with a global financial system.” - Charles Hoskinson

As we mentioned Cardano is the proof-of-stake network which means validating transactions happens through staking. ADA holders can stake their tokens in staking pools or even stake them independently. When you are staking ADA your tokens are used to validate transactions made on the blockchain, and you receive rewards for your services.

When you want to purchase Cardano, in fact, you are purchasing ADA, their native token. When we make a decision to buy ADA there are multiple factors we have to consider before deciding where to purchase it. There are multiple steps we have to take in order to choose the right exchange for us; we will also need to open an account with the exchange we are using. Let us take a look at exactly what you need to do to buy Cardano.

Find an exchange

When we are looking for an exchange to purchase ADA, we need to understand that not every exchange offers exactly the same services and each of them is different in some way. Because of this, we need to clearly understand what is our priority and only after that choose an exchange that fits those priorities well. For some it might be important that the exchange has low deposit fees, some might prioritize the trading experience the exchange brings, and some might look for transaction methods as each exchange can have different deposit and withdrawal options depending on where you live. There is also stuff like staking and leverage that some traders prioritize. So before making your final decision, make it clear to yourself what are you looking for when making a purchase.

Open trading account

Okay, we have selected which exchange we want to use but unless it is a decentralized exchange, we will need to open an account before we are able to make a purchase. Opening exchange accounts are somewhat similar and they usually follow the same path. You input genital information such as email and password and then pass identity verification in order to receive services provided by an exchange.

Buy Cardano (ADA)

Once our account is open we are ready to make a purchase. This experience will depend on which payment methods are available for us and which of them we want to use. We can either make purchases using traditional payment methods such as bank transfer or credit/debit card payment or we can acquire ADA by swapping different crypto for it using trading ADA trading pairs.

Create your own crypto wallet

This is not something that is a must but acquiring your own crypto wallet is a good step we can take. While our tokens are stored on exchange wallets, whole authority over the assets is in hands of the exchange as their wallets are custodial. While owning our private wallet gives us access to the private key and only we are able to make transactions. You might prefer to keep ADA on an exchange wallet because of the utility it brings, but if you are just holding them and don’t utilize them in any way, storing them in your wallet is a must.

So now we know what kind of process awaits us when purchasing ADA, but which exchanges are best in specific criteria. We will make this exploration process easy for you and will present some exchanges which are best for acquiring ADA for specific reasons, be it cheap deposit fees or a better trading experience.

eToro - Best exchange to purchase Cardano for low fees

When it comes to low deposit fees no exchange comes close to eToro since for credit/debit card deposits you don’t have to pay any fees and when purchasing ADA you will have to pay a small fee of 1%. This is an interesting exchange as alongside crypto you can also trade with a huge selection of stocks. This exchange is available in 140 countries so it is highly likely that your country will be on that list. You can also purchase ADA using PayPal which is not available on many exchanges. Here we will take you through the process of acquiring Cardano on eToro

Create your account

Since eToro is a centralized exchange, we need to open an account in order to trade. When creating an eToro account we will be given a few options for doing so. If you use the services of Facebook, Google, or Apple you are able to directly register using these accounts. You can also create an account with just your email address. When creating an account using our email address we will need to input our email address and password in the registration form. Once the form is submitted we will need to confirm it through the link which will be sent to our email address.

Verify your eToro account

Just creating an account is not enough to purchase ADA on eToro and we still need to pass KYC verification. When passing this verification process eToro will try to learn more about us, it will ask us about our occupation, average trading budget, and other relevant information. We will also need to provide our residential address before we are able to move to the final part of the verification. Here we will need to upload a document that proves our identity. This document can be an ID card or a Driving license. eToro then informs us that verification can take up to 3 days but it can be done much sooner.

Buy ADA

This is when we are able to actually acquire Cardano tokens. To find ADA we have to go to the Discovery page of eToro and look through the list of available cryptos or just use the search bar to look for it. There eToro will provide us with the Trade option and here is where we deposit money and purchase Cardano.

Crypto.com - Best user-friendly exchange to purchase ADA

When new investors are joining the crypto world they always look for exchanges that are not complicated and easy to navigate. Crypto.com is one of those exchanges where you can purchase Cardano in a fast and simple manner. Crypto.com has a competitive trading fee of 0.4% when purchasing ADA which is lower than eToro but deposit methods such as credit/debit cards have a deposit fee of %2.99. This is where it becomes more expensive than eToro but it is still cheaper than some of the other leading exchanges. This trading fee can be even lower if we trade in big quantities or if we stake Crypto.com native token Crono. So just like eToro here we will also take you through the process of acquiring ADA on Crypto.com.

Create Crypto.com account

Just like any centralized exchange Crypto.com requires users to have personal accounts in order to trade on their platform. To create a Crypto.com account we will need to provide small information about yourself such as your first and last name and the country you reside in. You will need an email address where you will be sent a confirmation link to complete account registration.

Verify your identity

Once again Crypto.com follows the standard procedures and asks you to verify your identity before giving you access to trading features. For verification, you will need your government-issued documents which verify your identity. This document can be your ID, Passport, or even Driving license. We will also be asked to take specific selfy to ensure that we are really the person whose documents we uploaded and they are not stolen from someone else. Then we just have to wait anywhere from 5 minutes to 4 hours before verification is done and our account is ready to purchase ADA.

Acquire Cardano (ADA)

Once the verification is done and limitations on our account lifted we are ready to purchase ADA. To do so, we will need to go to the Prices section on the exchange where we will see the list of cryptos available for purchase. Since ADA is one of the biggest cryptos on the market it will be at the top portion of the list so it should be easy to find and if not there is always an option to use the search tool in order to look for it. Once we found ADA we can make a direct purchase using traditional payment methods such as bank transfers or credit cards. We can also make crypto deposits from a different crypto wallet or exchange and swap that crypto for ADA if there is a trading pair available for the crypto we deposited.

Binance - Best exchange for ADA trading

When it comes to trading ADA, Binance is one of the best options for it. It is the largest crypto exchange for a reason. Binance has 6 crypto-to-crypto trading pairs available for ADA when trading spot prices. This might not seem a lot but there is also Binace Convert which allows traders to swap any token for another without paying any fees. What this means is that with just the click of a few buttons you are able to exchange your ADA for any other crypto available on Binance and vice versa. Also, one of the best features Binance has that involves ADA is the ability to stake Cardano tokens for relatively high APY. Here you can earn APYs of 11.29%, 6.59%, and 5.79% if you stake them for 90, 60, and 30 days respectively. What's even better is that Binance also has 5% APY for staking ADA with flexible duration where you are choosing how long you want to stake and are not limited to the aforementioned amount of days. Creating a Binance account is just like creating any other crypto exchange account, but we will still take you through this process.

Create Binance account

Just like other exchanges creating a Binance account is a simple and straightforward process. This is even more simple than some other exchanges as all you need to do is enter your email address and the password you wish to use. Once done you will just verify your email address using the link sent to it and this is it. But to ensure your security Binance will also ask you to turn on at least two-factor authentication by providing your mobile number and linking it to your account.

Pass identity verification

Binance makes it clear that you need to pass identity verification. As soon as you finish account verification you will be notified to verify your identity and to do so you will need to follow the link from the notification. Alternatively, you can also just go to your profile and choose Verification from there. For verification, we will need to upload our ID or Passport photo and alongside that provide our first and last names as well as our residential address.

Buy ADA

Once everything that we mentioned above is done we are ready to get our hand on Cardano tokens. We can do this in two different ways. We can either go Buy Crypto section and purchase ADA using the traditional payment method provided to us, this includes bank transfers, card deposits, and other third-party payments such as PayPal. 

Another option for us is using Binance Convert. If we already own another cryptocurrency we can simply deposit them on our Binance wallet and using Binance Convert swap them for Cardano. For this, we have to fo the wallet overview section where we will see the Deposit option. There we select which crypto we are depositing using which network and Binance will generate our personal wallet for that crypto. We then just send crypto to that wallet and wait for the blockchain to validate the transaction. Then simply go to the Trade section where you will see Binance Convert. Once there we can swap our tokens for ADA.

Once we get our hands on Cardano, it is not always an optional way to keep them on the exchange we purchased them in. For example, if you purchase Cardano on Binance for the trading experience, then keeping them in your Binance wallet is a good idea, but if you purchased them on eToro for their low fees, it might be best for you to transfer them somewhere where it is better to keep them. But what are the best options for it?

Coinbase - Best exchange to keep your ADA tokens in

When it comes to exchanges where it is best to keep your ADA tokens, few exchanges come close to Coinbase. Coinbase is one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world with big regulations and securities put in place. What this means is that your tokens will be protected from the risks of some malicious attacks and even if your funds get lost you can benefit from the crime insurance policy Coinbase has in place. Also, another great feature of Coinbase is its staking of ADA. While the APY is lower than Binance, Coinbase offers one interesting feature that many will appreciate. You are not forced to lock your tokens for a set amount of time. For example, on Binance you can lock your tokens for 30, 60, and 90 days, or select the number of days yourself. But once you lock in your Cardano tokens, you won’t be able to access those tokens until the staking period ends. While on Coinbase you are able to opt-out of staking any time you want and are not chained to the specific timer. Also, Coinbase has a pleasant interface and the trading experience here is something that most will enjoy. So if you are not utilizing ADA for one specific aspect, it is best to keep them on your Coinbase account.

Ledger Nano X

Another alternative to keep your tokens is Ledger Nano X cold wallet. When it comes to security, there is nothing more secure than keeping your tokens in a cold wallet. This completely removes the possibility of hackers getting into your account and taking out money from it. Ledger Nano X is one of the best cold wallets which you can purchase to store your ADA tokens. You can purchase Nano X directly from the Ledger website or from online marketplaces such as Amazon.

If we take a look at the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, only 3 of them are younger than Cardano. Two of them are stablecoins that received huge investments, and it is logical for them to be there, another one is Polygon, which was released just a few months after Cardano. What this means is that despite its young age Cardano has already established itself as the top dog and investors should not close their eyes to this interesting project.

Cardano is one of the most actively developed projects on the market. It has around 100-150 developers working on it every day and these developers push out around 700 commits per week. If Cardano was able to deliver its roadmap, which seems likely to happen, investors believe that it has the potential to rival Ethereum itself. This might be a bold prediction since Ethereum went through its own updates, but Cardano still has a good chance to steal some portion of the Ethereum user base.

“Crypto is unstoppable. Crypto is the future.” - Charles Hoskinson

Because of this, investing in Cardano is something that investors have to consider. If you are an Ethereum holder or plan to also acquire it, Cardano can be a great hedge for it. So just go over the project to learn the ins and outs of it and if you like what you see investing will not be a bad idea.