Cardano Soars Nearly 130% To $30 Billion, Climbs To 9th In Market Cap Rankings

Cardano’s decentralized finance (DeFi) environment has increased significantly, with the total value locked (TVL) expanding by 13%. The spike, while impressive, is the product of multiple variables at work in the blockchain’s expanding DeFi scene.

This surge is due to major protocol improvements and a steady rise in the adoption of decentralized apps (dApps), indicating a bright future for the network.

Key Upgrades And Protocol Improvements

Recent network upgrades have substantially facilitated Cardano’s expansion. The Ouroboros Peras protocol is notable for its influence on blockchain governance and scalability. These modifications enhanced transaction speeds, eased network congestion, and increased DeFi engagement.

The recent Chang Hard Fork has enhanced the functionality of Cardano’s ecosystem, rendering it more appealing for DeFi projects to initiate on the platform.

Cardano experienced substantial growth in Q4 2024, with ADA’s price surging to $0.84. This rally drove its market capitalization up 127% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to $30.3 billion, despite a 2.2% decline in circulating supply, data from Messari shows.

ADA’s ranking by circulating market cap improved from 11th to 9th, reflecting growing investor confidence and increased network activity. The surge in market cap highlights heightened demand, increased liquidity, and a stronger presence within the broader crypto market, reinforcing ADA’s position as a leading blockchain asset.

Liqwid Finance: A Key Factor For Growth

One of Cardano’s most well-known DeFi protocols, Liqwid Finance, has shown remarkable growth in terms of TVL and user engagement. With a decentralized approach, this protocol offers reasonable rates for lending and borrowing. Alongside Cardano’s growing DeFi TVL, Liqwid Finance has emerged as a key force behind this growing trend, showcasing the potential of decentralized finance on the platform.

Stablecoins Popularity Up

Another important change in Cardano’s DeFi area is the rise of stablecoins. Cardano’s stablecoin market has grown thanks to the release and use of more tokens on a number of DeFi systems. People have long thought of the Cardano network as a reliable alternative to other blockchain systems, and this change shows how stable and appealing it is becoming.

ADAUSD trading at $0.78 on the daily chart: TradingView.com

Mixed Results In NFT Activity

Not all industries are seeing the same trend even if Cardano is clearly growing in the DeFi market. Results about the non-fungible token (NFT) market of the network have been erratic. While overall transaction volume has increased, several projects and NFT collectors have found it challenging to sustain constant increase.

Meanwhile, Cardano’s stablecoin market cap grew 66% from one quarter to the next. This shows that assets like iUSD and DJED are becoming more popular. But there were mixed signs from NFT activity. The average daily trading volume of NFTs in USD went up 86% to $78,900 because the value of the ADA went up. However, the number of NFT sales and transactions went down slightly.

Cardano’s 13% rise in DeFi TVL and soaring market cap figures illustrate the growing impact of the blockchain on decentralized finance. As fresh updates keep spreading and protocols like Liqwid Finance gain popularity, the long-term prospects of the network seem bright.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView

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