|

Cardano development activity could help the Ethereum killer navigate crypto winter

  • Cardano ranks first among top blockchain protocols in 2022 in terms of development activity. 
  • The Ethereum killer outperformed Polkadot, Cosmos, Elrond, Optimism and others to top the development activity chart. 
  • Total value locked on the Cardano network has declined consistently throughout crypto winter. 

Cardano, a smart contract network considered an Ethereum alternative, witnessed the highest development activity when compared to other altcoins in the crypto ecosystem. Spike in development activity could fuel a bullish sentiment among ADA holders as the altcoin struggles to wipe out losses from crypto winter. 

Also read: XRP price forecast 2023

Cardano development activity leaves competitors to bite the dust 

Cardano is a smart contract blockchain network developed by blockchain engineering firm Input Output Global and headed by Charles Hoskinson. Throughout 2022, Cardano ecosystem topped the charts in developmental activity on its blockchain. 

Based on data from crypto intelligence tracker Santiment, the Ethereum alternative ranks first in the list of top 10 networks by development activity. 

When the assets ranked in the top 10 list are ranked by their Return on Investment (ROI) since it’s token sale in USD terms, it is as follows.

ICP – 1.01

FLOW – 6.84

DOT – 14.9

EGLD – 51.0

ATOM – 93.5

ADA – 102

MATIC – 301

ETH – 385

Cardano ranks eighth in the list with an ROI of 102. It’s important to note that despite hitting developmental milestones and the massive ROI for holders the altcoin lags behind in total value locked. This metric is the DeFi equivalent of total market capitalisation. 

Cardano lags behind in Total Value Locked

Based on data from DeFi tracker DappRadar, multiple decentralised applications in the network were unable to invite users to their platforms. Cardano’a popular frappe Miniswap and SundaeSwap lost 10% and 16.42% of active wallet addresses respectively. 

dApp activity on Cardano
dApp activity on Cardano

Declining dApp activity has hampered Cardano’s total value locked. 

DefiLlama, a DeFi data aggregator revealed that Cardano’s TVL had declined significantly. Within the last few months of 2022, the overall TVL generated by Cardano fell from $58 million to $50 million.

Cardano TVL
Cardano TVL

It remains to be seen whether fast paced development activity on the Cardano network will help the Ethereum killer wipe out losses from crypto winter. Cardano price is largely unchanged over the past 24 hours. 

Author

Ekta Mourya

Ekta Mourya

FXStreet

Ekta Mourya has extensive experience in fundamental and on-chain analysis, particularly focused on impact of macroeconomics and central bank policies on cryptocurrencies.

More from Ekta Mourya
Share:

Editor's Picks

Sonic Labs’ vertical integration fuels recovery in S token

Sonic, previously Fantom (FTM), is extending its recovery trade at $0.048 at the time of writing, after rebounding by over 12% the previous day. The recovery thesis’ strengths lie in the optimism surrounding Sonic Labs’ Wednesday announcement to shift to a vertically integrated model, aimed at boosting S token utility. 

Midnight Price Forecast: NIGHT warms up as Hoskinson reveals March mainnet release

Midnight edges higher by 2% at press time on Thursday, driven by its founder announcing the mainnet release by late March at the Consensus 2026 event. The technical outlook for Midnight highlights a potential bottom formation that could ignite the next bullish trend.

Cardano Price Forecast: ADA eyes short-term rebound as derivatives sentiment improves

Cardano (ADA) is trading at $0.257 at the time of writing on Thursday, after slipping more than 4% so far this week. Derivatives sentiment improves as ADA’s funding rates turn positive alongside rising long bets among traders.

Top Crypto Gainers: Pippin rally logs over 75% gains, Aster and Kaia push higher

Altcoins, such as Pippin (PIPPIN), Aster (ASTER) and Kaia (KAIA) continue to trade in the green, defying the broader market pullback as Bitcoin (BTC) dropped to below $68,000. PIPPIN continues to rally and ASTER and KAIA show short-term recovery with possibilities of a breakout rally.

Bitcoin Price Annual Forecast: BTC holds long-term bullish structure heading into 2026

Bitcoin (BTC) is wrapping up 2025 as one of its most eventful years, defined by unprecedented institutional participation, major regulatory developments, and extreme price volatility.

Bitcoin: The worst may be behind us

Bitcoin (BTC) price recovers slightly, trading at $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, after reaching a low of $60,000 during the early Asian trading session. The Crypto King remained under pressure so far this week, posting three consecutive weeks of losses exceeding 30%.