Mapping out the Cardano ecosystem

Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform with a stated focus on bringing security and sustainability to decentralized financial applications and ecosystems. It is the first blockchain to implement Ouroboros, a peer-reviewed blockchain protocol that does not compromise blockchain security for said sustainability and scalability. 

The Cardano team is split across three independent Cardano-centric entities, including the Cardano Foundation, IOHK, and Emurgo. Cardano was funded by the ICO (initial coin offering) of its native ADA token, with a debuted market cap of $600 million which now exceeds $69 billion. The Cardano Foundation, located in Zug, Switzerland, or ‘Crypto Valley,’ oversees the development and funding of Cardano projects. Emurgo acts as the private investment side of Cardano funding, accelerating projects, while IOHK delivers Cardano protocol upgrades and spearheads its commercial marketing.