Skip to main content

Core Concepts

Introduction to Cardano: the big picture​

Learn fundamental terms like blockchain, consensus, decentralization, delegation and incentives. Understand the big picture of Cardano and why stake pools are so important.

Developing Cardano is no small feat. There is no other project that has ever been built to these parameters, combining peer reviewed cryptographic research with an implementation in highly secure Haskell code.

Cardano was designed with input from a large global team including leading experts and professors in the fields of computer programming languages, network design and cryptography.

If you haven't seen it yet, watch the legendary whiteboard video from 2017. Some details are a bit outdated, but it is still worth seeing to understand what Cardano is and where Cardano came from.

What You'll Learn​

Understanding these concepts is essential for building on Cardano. Unlike account-based blockchains, Cardano uses the Extended UTXO (EUTXO) model, which requires a different mental model for transactions, state management, and smart contracts.

Why Start Here?​

  • EUTXO is fundamental - Everything from transactions to smart contracts works differently
  • Security-first design - Learn how Cardano's cryptographic foundations protect your applications
  • Staking as a feature - Understanding consensus helps you build better dApps

Ready to dive in? Explore the topics below: