Cardano vs Tether

General

Description

Cardano Logo
Cardano
 (ADA)

Cardano, similar to Ethereum, is a blockchain platform designed for running smart contracts. It operates on a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, making it particularly energy-efficient. The technology is developed and rigorously reviewed by a network of academics and researchers, following a peer-review process.

What is Cardano?
Tether Logo
Tether
 (USDT)

Tether (USDT) is a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. Issued by Tether Limited, each token is backed by reserves including US Treasury bills, cash, and other assets. USDT acts as a digital dollar in the crypto market, commonly used for short-term capital parking, trading, and fast cross-border transfers without the volatility of traditional cryptocurrencies.

What is Tether?

Purpose and goals

Cardano Logo
Cardano
 (ADA)
  • Smart contract platform
  • Decentralized finance (DeFi)
  • Decentralized applications
Tether Logo
Tether
 (USDT)
  • Digital dollar
  • Trading & liquidity
  • Fast transfers

Price and market data

Price chart

Cardano
 (ADA)

$0.419

+2.98%
Tether
 (USDT)

$1.00

+0.036%
Market data
CardanoTether
Market cap
$15.41B
$186.78B
Market share
0.46%
5.56%
Current price

$0.42

+$0.022+5.14%

$1.0

+$0.00062+0.062%
ADA converterUSDT converter
All-time high
$3.09
Sep 02, 2021-86.43%
Crypto all-time highs
Cycle low
$0.23
+78.46%Jun 10, 2023
Prediction for 2026
Powered by AI
$1.52
+262.94%
ADA prediction
Price trend
Negative
(20/30 days)
Momentum
Negative
NegativePositive
Negative
Relative Strength Index
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral (58.83)
News sentiment
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral (59/100)

Last 2 months

Positive
NegativePositive
Positive (67/100)

Last 7 days

ADA newsUSDT news
Price performance
-56.86%
+0.0014%
Price performance
-24.76%
-0.053%
Price performance
+5.94%
-0.051%
Price performance
+2.98%
+0.036%
Price performance
+5.14%
+0.062%
Price performance
+1.55%
+0.0030%
Annual return
+19.71%
+0.056%
Annual return
-59.17%
+0.089%
Annual return
+42.81%
-0.14%
ADA returns
Total return
+1,465.17%
2017 – 2026
-17.40%
2015 – 2026
Average annual return
+346.55%
-1.42%
Transaction volume
$927.42M
24h
$118.11B
24h
Max supply
45B
Circulating supply
36.76B
186.85B
Inflation
2.27%
Year
35.94%
Year
Crypto inflation

On-chain data

Market data
CardanoTether
Total Value Locked (TVL)
$187.43M
What is Total Value Locked?
Market cap/TVL (ratio)
82.22
Transactions (24h)
25,882
3.9M
Active addresses (24h)
18,833
1.99M

Our rating

Our rating
CardanoTether
Our overall rating
Cardano
Tether
How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

Our individual ratings

Risk
Cardano: 5 of 10
Risk (Cardano)
Tether: 8 of 10
Risk (Tether)
Cardano Logo
Tether Logo
riskyless risky
Community
Cardano: 8 of 10
Community (Cardano)
Tether: 10 of 10
Community (Tether)
Cardano Logo
Tether Logo
smalllarge
Hype & momentum
Cardano: 7 of 10
Hype & momentum (Cardano)
Tether: 7 of 10
Hype & momentum (Tether)
Cardano Logo
Tether Logo
weakstrong
Active usage
Cardano: 3 of 10
Active usage (Cardano)
Tether: 10 of 10
Active usage (Tether)
Cardano Logo
Tether Logo
lowhigh
Network effect
Cardano: 2 of 10
Network effect (Cardano)
Tether: 9 of 10
Network effect (Tether)
Cardano Logo
Tether Logo
weakstrong
Decentralization
Cardano: 5 of 10
Decentralization (Cardano)
Tether: 1 of 10
Decentralization (Tether)
Cardano Logo
Tether Logo
centralizeddecentralized

Our opinion

Cardano Logo
Cardano
 (ADA)
Cardano has solid technical foundations and an intriguing scientific approach. The problem: development is often too slow for the fast-moving crypto space, and this shows in its lack of real adoption. While competitors like Solana or Avalanche rapidly ship features and attract developers, Cardano has relatively little Total Value Locked (TVL) and few active projects despite having smart contracts since 2021. The DeFi ecosystem exists on paper, but most developers are still building elsewhere. The scientific approach may be theoretically superior — but without genuine adoption, it remains an academic exercise.
What is Cardano?
Tether Logo
Tether
 (USDT)
Tether has established itself as an indispensable tool in the crypto market. No other stablecoin offers comparable liquidity and global availability. For traders and users in emerging markets, USDT is often the most practical way to hold value in US dollars. That said, the criticism is valid: Tether Limited operates offshore, full audits are still missing, and the freeze function highlights how centralized the system is. For EU users, MiCA adds another factor, as USDT is increasingly restricted on regulated platforms. Despite this, Tether has weathered every major crisis and has processed billions in redemptions without issues. We see USDT as a highly practical trading instrument with clear utility, but not as a long-term store of value. Anyone holding larger amounts should keep issuer risk in mind and consider diversifying into regulated alternatives such as USDC.
What is Tether?

Details

Info
CardanoTether
Founder
Charles Hoskinson
Brock Pierce, Reeve Collins, Craig Sellars
Developer
Cardano Foundation, IOHK, Emurgo
Tether Limited
Published
2017
2014
Open source
Yes
No
Sector
Smart Contracts
Stablecoin
Key feature
Scientific Approach
Price stability (USD peg)
Blockchain
Cardano Blockchain
Multi-chain
Staking
Yes
No
Consensus mechanism
Proof of Stake (Ouroboros)
Network-dependent (multi-chain)
Energy consumption
Low
Low
Transactions per second
250 TPS
Institutional investors
  • Cognitive Blockchain Capital
Community
840,187 followers
556,661 followers
Website
cardano.org
tether.to
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Cardano vs Tether

Cardano or Tether

Market data comparison of ADA versus USDT

The current price of Cardano is $0.42 and has increased by in the last 24 hours. Tether is currently trading at $1.0, with a gain of over the same period. Cardano has a market cap of $15.41B and ranks 11th. Tether follows with a market cap of $186.78B, ranking 3rd — meaning it is valued higher.

We automatically update all market data every 15 minutes, so you always have the latest figures for your comparison.

Should I buy Cardano or Tether?

You should be aware that investing in cryptocurrencies carries risks, and we are neither allowed nor intending to provide investment advice. Still, we'd like to offer some food for thought: consider the opportunities and risks associated with both Cardano and Tether. What target markets and problems are these two projects aiming to address?

If you're still unsure whether to invest in Cardano or Tether, you can take a look at some additional market data to help with your decision:

Cardano currently has a 99.21% lower 24h transaction volume of $927.42M compared to Tether with $118.11B.
Over the past year, Cardano achieved a total return of , while Tether returned . Keep in mind, however, that past performance rarely guarantees future results.

Additional criteria for comparing cryptocurrencies:

  • What problem does the project aim to solve, and is a decentralized network meaningful and necessary for it?
  • How actively is the network being used?
  • Does the project have a large and active community?
  • How strong is the development activity? (e.g., on GitHub)
  • How decentralized is the underlying blockchain and the project itself?

How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

These are just a few indicators you can use to better evaluate and compare cryptocurrencies like Cardano and Tether. Cryptocurrencies and their underlying technologies are often difficult to compare — even for professionals. So don’t stress yourself out, and never let emotions or fear of missing out drive your investment decisions.

Where can I buy Cardano or Tether?

Today, there are many reputable and secure exchanges that make it easy to invest in Cardano and Tether. We're happy to help you choose the right one: simply use our exchange comparison tool to find the platform that best suits your needs. Both Cardano and Tether are well-known and in high demand, which means they're available on most major exchanges.

Crypto exchanges comparison

Which crypto wallet is best for Cardano and Tether?

If you want to store cryptocurrencies like Cardano or Tether yourself, choosing the right wallet is essential. Consider your personal preferences when deciding: Is ease of use important to you? Do you prefer maximum security with a hardware wallet (USB device), or is a software wallet sufficient for your needs? Our crypto wallet comparison helps you find the best wallet for Cardano, Tether, and many other cryptocurrencies.

Crypto wallets comparison

How does our comparison work?

Data & Interfaces

Our market data is automatically updated every 15 minutes. This means you can always use the latest data for your comparisons. We obtain the data through web interfaces (API) from CoinGecko, DefiLlama, CoinCodex and many more

Research & Deepdive

We regularly sift through a jungle of technical whitepapers, websites, social media and forums for you. In doing so, we filter out essential and relevant information in order to present it to you clearly and comprehensibly in our comparison

Analysis & Valuation

We research and use analysis tools for blockchains and their networks, to form a fact-based foundation for our valuation. Please note that this is not an investment recommendation, but merely our personal opinion.

Community & Feedback

We check our information every 1-2 months to ensure it is up to date and correct. With the help of our community, we can find outdated or incorrect data even faster. Of course, we also welcome your feedback or suggestions for improvement!

Our data on cryptocurrencies was last updated on 2026-01-14T15:05:22.477388+00:00. Sources: CoinGecko, defillama.com, coincodex.com.

The content on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. It should not be interpreted as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold cryptocurrencies, nor as a guarantee of future price developments. You are responsible for independently verifying any information before using a listed service. Trading cryptocurrencies involves significant risk and can result in the total loss of your capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results. We do not accept any liability for the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided, including content from external or third-party sources. All actions are taken at your own risk. Some links on this website are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or use a service through these links, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Our content, comparisons, and rankings remain editorially independent. This helps us provide free content and continue developing the platform. Thank you for your support.