Conceived by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, Cardano is a third-generation blockchain platform that aspires to overcome the scalability and sustainability issues faced by its predecessors. With a strong emphasis on research-driven development and peer-reviewed academic papers, Cardano aims to offer a secure and scalable infrastructure for the deployment of decentralized applications and smart contracts. <br><br>The Cardano platform operates through two layers - the settlement layer and the computation layer - separating transaction accounting from smart contract execution to enhance security and flexibility. Additionally, its native cryptocurrency, ADA, fuels the network and facilitates transactions, staking, and governance within the ecosystem.