Cardano (ADA) is a proof of stake blockchain platform built on peer reviewed research. It was co-founded by Charles Hoskinson, one of Ethereum's early co-founders, and launched in 2017. Development follows a scientific approach, with new features tested and reviewed by academics before release. Cardano uses the Ouroboros proof of stake protocol, which uses far less energy than proof of work, and it supports smart contracts, tokens and decentralised applications. ADA is the native currency, used to pay fees, to stake and to take part in on chain governance. The platform is named after Ada Lovelace, the 19th century mathematician often seen as the first computer programmer.