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What is Cardano?

Cardano is an open-source, proof-of-stake blockchain platform designed for security, scalability, and sustainability. Built on peer-reviewed academic research and developed using the Haskell programming language, Cardano uses the Ouroboros consensus protocol — the first provably secure proof-of-stake protocol. The platform supports smart contracts through Plutus (based on Haskell) and Marlowe (a domain-specific language for financial contracts), and uses an extended UTXO (eUTXO) model that combines the security benefits of Bitcoin’s UTXO model with the programmability of account-based systems. Cardano’s native token, ADA, is used for transaction fees, staking, and governance participation. The smallest unit of ADA is called a lovelace (1 ADA = 1,000,000 lovelace).

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Key Concepts of Cardano

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Extended UTXO Model (eUTXO)

Unlike account-based blockchains, Cardano uses an extended UTXO model where each transaction consumes unspent outputs and produces new ones. This model enables deterministic transaction execution — users can verify the outcome of a transaction before submitting it. The “extended” part allows UTXOs to carry arbitrary data (datums) and be locked by scripts (validators).

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Epochs and Slots

Cardano divides time into epochs (approximately 5 days each), which are subdivided into slots (1 second each). A block can be produced in each slot by a slot leader selected through the Ouroboros protocol. This structure governs staking rewards, delegation cycles, and governance timelines.

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Staking and Delegation

ADA holders can delegate their stake to stake pools without locking their funds. Staking rewards are calculated per epoch based on the amount of stake delegated to a pool. The epoch_stake and pool_reward tables provide visibility into delegation snapshots and reward distributions.

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Native Assets

Cardano supports native multi-asset functionality at the ledger level — tokens are treated as first-class citizens alongside ADA without requiring smart contracts. Each native asset is identified by a policy ID (the hash of the minting policy script) and an asset name. The asset_mint and asset_data tables track minting events and token metadata.

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Plutus Smart Contracts

Cardano smart contracts (validators) are written in Plutus and executed on-chain when UTXOs guarded by scripts are consumed. Transaction scripts include redeemers (input data to the script) and datums (data attached to UTXOs). The transaction_scripts table captures script execution details including resource consumption.

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On-Chain Governance (CIP-1694)

Cardano’s Voltaire era introduced on-chain governance, allowing ADA holders, stake pool operators, and a constitutional committee to vote on governance actions such as protocol parameter changes, treasury withdrawals, and hard forks. The gov_action_proposal, gov_action_vote, and gov_action_proposal_status tables provide full visibility into governance activity.

Cardano documentation

Explore comprehensive documentation of Cardano, detailing its architecture, protocol, and resources for developers.

Cardano explorer

Browse blocks, transactions, and stake pools on Cardano’s block explorer.

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Cardano Data on Dune

Cardano data on Dune covers core ledger activity (blocks, transactions, UTXOs), native assets, staking and rewards, smart contract execution, and on-chain governance. Here are the Cardano tables available on Dune:

Blocks

Block-level data including epoch, slot, transaction counts, total output, and fees.

Transactions

Transaction details including fees, validity status, and input/output counts.

Address UTXOs

Unspent transaction outputs with asset details, addresses, datums, and script references.

Transaction Inputs

Records of UTXO consumption, linking spent outputs to the transactions that spend them.

Epoch Stake

Per-epoch stake delegation snapshots showing stake amounts and pool assignments.

Pool Rewards

Staking reward distributions per epoch, including reward type and pool information.

Asset Mints

Native asset minting and burning events with policy IDs and quantities.

Asset Data

Token metadata including name, ticker, decimals, and price information.

Transaction Scripts

Plutus and native script executions with redeemer data and resource consumption.

Smart Contract Registry

Registry of known smart contracts with project names, categories, and script languages.

Transaction Metadata

Arbitrary JSON metadata attached to transactions via metadata labels.

Governance Proposals

On-chain governance action proposals including type, deposit, and anchor details.

Governance Votes

Votes cast on governance proposals by DReps, SPOs, and the constitutional committee.

Governance Proposal Status

Current status and voting statistics for governance proposals.