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Documentation

The Cardano Developer Portal documentation is organized by what you want to do. Pick your path below.

Build on Cardano​

Start here if you want to build applications on Cardano. The docs are a curriculum of seven modules that build on each other, from blockchain fundamentals through transactions, tokens, staking and governance, and smart contracts to production dApps. There is also a standalone Exchange integrations guide for custodial platforms.

Operate a stake pool​

The operator handbook covers the full lifecycle of running a Cardano stake pool: hardware and key management basics, installing and running the node, registering your pool, monitoring, security hardening, and your role in on-chain governance.

Community​

  • Developer community lists the forums, chats, and weekly office hours where Cardano developers gather.
  • Funding and grants maps the ways to fund your project, from community grants to the on-chain treasury.

Contribute​

The portal is open source and evolved by the community. How to contribute explains the workflow, and the style guide covers writing conventions.

More on the portal​

Beyond the documentation:

  • Builder Tools is a curated directory of the tools, SDKs, and APIs the ecosystem builds with.
  • Templates offers starter templates to clone and build on.
  • Developer Blog carries announcements, technical deep dives, and community spotlights.