Skip to main content

Get started with the technical concepts

To get the most out of the Cardano Developer Portal, you should have programming experience and a basic understanding of blockchain concepts. This section provides comprehensive coverage of Cardano's technical foundations, organized into key areas for easier learning and reference.

Core Blockchain Fundamentals​

Learn the foundational concepts that power Cardano's blockchain technology:

  • Introduction to Cardano - Understand the big picture and Cardano's unique architecture
  • Extended UTXO (EUTXO) - Cardano's innovative accounting model that enables smart contracts on the UTxO model
  • Transactions - How transactions work, fees, and guaranteed delivery
  • Addresses - Cardano's address system

→ Explore Core Blockchain Fundamentals

Wallet & Key Management​

Master the cryptographic foundations of wallet security:

  • Mnemonic Seed Phrases (BIP39) - How randomness creates secure wallet seeds
  • Key Derivation - The process of generating keys and addresses from seed phrases

→ Learn Wallet & Key Management

Assets​

Discover Cardano's native asset and smart contract capabilities:

  • NFTs - Non-fungible tokens as native assets
  • Fungible Tokens - Creating quality fungible tokens on Cardano
  • Multisig - Multi-signature transaction security

→ Explore Assets

Consensus & Staking​

Understand Cardano's proof-of-stake consensus mechanism:

  • Ouroboros Protocol - Cardano's provably secure consensus algorithm
  • Stake Pools - How delegation and block production work
  • Slots and Epochs - Time organization and slot leader election
  • Incentives and Rewards - The economic model behind staking

→ Deep Dive into Consensus & Staking

Network & Communication​

Learn how Cardano nodes communicate and share data:

  • Block and Transaction Propagation - How data moves through the network
  • P2P Networking - Peer-to-peer communication protocols
  • Network Congestion - Understanding mempool management

→ Understand Network & Communication

Governance & Standards​

Participate in Cardano's governance and standards development:

  • Cardano Improvement Proposals (CIPs) - The formal process for ecosystem improvements
  • Governance Snapshots - Taking blockchain snapshots for voting

→ Learn About Governance & Standards