Cardano (ADA) vs Polkadot (DOT): comparison
Side-by-side comparison of Cardano and Polkadot: how their prices moved, how they differ technically and what each is used for.
ADA and DOT: key specs
| Cardano (ADA) | Polkadot (DOT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.208908 | $1.06 |
| Ticker | ADA | DOT |
| Type | native blockchain coin | native blockchain coin |
| Launched | 2017 | 2020 |
| Created by | Charles Hoskinson | Gavin Wood |
| Consensus | Proof of Stake (Ouroboros) | Nominated Proof of Stake |
| Block time | ~20 sec | ~6 sec |
| Max supply | 45 B ADA | — |
| Transaction privacy | public transactions | public transactions |
| Circulating supply | 37.51 B ADA | 1.7 B DOT |
| Market cap | $7.84 B | $1.8 B |
| Market cap rank | #19 | #49 |
CoinGecko data as of Sep 11, 2026, 19:03. How we calculate the data
Price change: ADA vs DOT
Both prices are set to 100 at the start of the period, so the chart shows which coin grew or fell more, not the prices themselves.
| Period | ADA | DOT |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | −6.42% | +26.1% |
| 30 days | +10.71% | +41.88% |
| 90 days | +20.56% | +14.32% |
The correlation of their daily price changes over the last 90 days is 0.55 (moderate).
ADA or DOT: what each is used for
- Smart contracts and appsCardano and Polkadot
How Cardano and Polkadot work
How Cardano works
Cardano uses the Ouroboros consensus protocol, with a block about every 20 seconds, and an extended UTXO model. ADA holders can delegate to stake pools without locking their coins. The maximum supply is 45 billion ADA.
What Cardano is used for
ADA pays fees, is staked to secure the network and is used in Cardano-based DeFi and NFT applications.
How Polkadot works
Polkadot consists of a relay chain that provides shared security and many connected chains (parachains). It uses Nominated Proof of Stake with a block every 6 seconds. Staked DOT has an unbonding period before it can be transferred.
What Polkadot is used for
DOT is used for staking, for governance of the network and for securing blockspace for connected chains.