Cardano (ADA) against Tezos (XTZ)
Cardano and Tezos next to each other: how the prices travelled, what differs under the hood and what each coin is built for.
ADA and XTZ: what is under the hood
| Cardano (ADA) | Tezos (XTZ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.193673 | $0.255446 |
| Ticker | ADA | XTZ |
| Type | coin of its own network | coin of its own network |
| Launched | 2017 | 2018 |
| Built by | Charles Hoskinson | Arthur Breitman, Kathleen Breitman |
| Consensus | Proof of Stake (Ouroboros) | Liquid Proof of Stake |
| Block | ~20 sec | — |
| Supply cap | 45 B ADA | — |
| Privacy | transfers are public | transfers are public |
| In circulation | 37.58 B ADA | 1.1 B XTZ |
| Market cap | $7.28 B | $281.07 M |
| Rank by cap | #18 | #142 |
Source: CoinGecko, Nov 1, 2026 09:24. Where these numbers come from
Who went where: ADA and XTZ
Both prices start the period at 100, so the chart shows which one rose or fell harder — not the prices themselves.
| Period | ADA | XTZ |
|---|---|---|
| Week | −8.35% | −14.32% |
| Month | −21.67% | −21.97% |
| Quarter | +10.78% | +26.92% |
Over the quarter their daily moves line up at 0.67 (they travel alike).
What each one is built for: ADA and XTZ
- Smart contracts and appsCardano and Tezos
How Cardano and Tezos are built
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 for
ADA pays fees, is staked to secure the network and is used in Cardano-based DeFi and NFT applications.
How Tezos works
Tezos can upgrade itself: holders vote on protocol amendments, which are activated without a hard fork. It uses Liquid Proof of Stake, where holders delegate to "bakers" without locking their coins.
What Tezos is for
XTZ pays fees, is used for staking and governance and powers NFT and DeFi applications on Tezos.
