Latest Cardano (ADA) News Update

By CMC AI
04 October 2025 12:17PM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on ADA?

TLDR

Cardano navigates ETF delays while whales accumulate and partnerships bloom – here are the latest moves:

  1. ETF Delay Shakes Market (4 October 2025) – SEC postpones Cardano ETF decision to October 26, causing short-term volatility.

  2. NEAR Protocol Partnership (4 October 2025) – AI-driven UX upgrades aim to simplify crypto interactions.

  3. Institutional ETF Floodgates (3 October 2025) – REX-Osprey files for 21 crypto ETFs, including ADA staking options.

Deep Dive

1. ETF Delay Shakes Market (4 October 2025)

Overview:
The SEC delayed its decision on a spot Cardano ETF to October 26, causing Polymarket approval odds to plummet from 95% to 8%. This follows new SEC rules requiring ETFs to meet criteria like six months of regulated futures trading.

What this means:
This introduces near-term uncertainty, as seen in ADA’s 1.43% drop to $0.846 post-announcement. However, approval could unlock institutional demand – Grayscale’s Cardano ETF application remains pending with a revised October 26 deadline. (U.Today)

2. NEAR Protocol Partnership (4 October 2025)

Overview:
Cardano partnered with NEAR Protocol to integrate AI-driven interfaces, targeting mainstream adoption through simplified wallet interactions and transaction flows.

What this means:
This collaboration strengthens Cardano’s usability narrative – critical for competing with Ethereum and Solana in DeFi. The timing aligns with ADA’s 7.9% weekly gain, though sustained progress depends on execution. (U.Today)

3. Institutional ETF Floodgates (3 October 2025)

Overview:
REX-Osprey filed for 21 single-asset ETFs, including ADA staking products, leveraging Cayman Islands subsidiaries to bypass U.S. tax complexities.

What this means:
This signals growing institutional confidence in ADA’s regulatory positioning post-Clarity Act. While the SEC’s government shutdown has paused approvals, the filings suggest ADA could lead the next wave of crypto ETFs. (TokenPost)

Conclusion

Cardano faces a pivotal October with ETF decisions and protocol upgrades (Ouroboros Leios) testing its resilience. While regulatory delays weigh on sentiment, whale accumulation (70M ADA bought last week) and infrastructure expansions suggest long-term conviction. Will ADA’s $0.84 support hold as the SEC’s deadline looms?

What are people saying about ADA?

TLDR

Cardano’s community is split between breakout optimism and support-testing jitters. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. Bullish wedge breakout – Analysts eye $2.30 if ADA holds $0.89 resistance

  2. Bearish alerts – Inverse patterns warn of potential drop below $0.70

  3. ETF hype – Traders debate odds of SEC approval boosting institutional demand

Deep Dive

1. @CoinMarketCap: Falling Wedge Targets $2.30 🚀 Bullish

“Breakout from $0.89 resistance could trigger 155% rally… DeFi TVL up 72% to $400M supports momentum.”
– CoinMarketCap (15.2M followers · 2.1M impressions · 22 July 2025)
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What this means: Bullish technicals and ecosystem growth could propel ADA toward multi-year highs if buying volume sustains above $0.89.

2. @CryptoKing: Breakdown Risk at $0.72 📉 Bearish

“Break below $0.7220 opens path to $0.70… derivatives data shows long/short ratio skewed to sellers.”
– CryptoKing (890K followers · 412K impressions · 1 August 2025)
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What this means: Failed support holds and leveraged trader positioning suggest bearish control unless ADA reclaims $0.74-$0.76 zone.

3. @Fmkohn: ETF Speculation Heats Up 🏦 Mixed

“ADA trending on X for 5 days – spot ETF approval could unlock $1+ targets.”
– @Fmkohn (218K followers · 3.7M impressions · 29 September 2025)
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What this means: Retail interest aligns with institutional ETF chatter, but regulatory delays or rejections could trigger volatility.

Conclusion

The consensus on Cardano is mixed, balancing technical breakout potential against macroeconomic and regulatory risks. While DeFi growth and wedge patterns excite bulls, derivatives data and whale selling pressure keep bears anchored. Watch the $0.89 resistance and Grayscale’s ETF application timeline – a close above $0.95 or concrete ETF news could decisively tilt momentum.

What is the latest update in ADA’s codebase?

TLDR

Cardano’s codebase advances with community-funded upgrades and technical optimizations.

  1. Core Protocol Funding Approved (4 August 2025) – $71M treasury allocation for scaling and decentralization.

  2. Account Enhancement CIP Drafted (5 August 2025) – Enables non-ADA fees for dApp microtransactions.

  3. CNCLI v6.6.0 Released (4 August 2025) – Streamlined node operations for stake pool operators.

Deep Dive

1. Core Protocol Funding Approved (4 August 2025)

Overview: Cardano’s community voted to allocate 96M ADA ($71M) from its treasury for 12 months of protocol upgrades, marking its first on-chain governance-backed development budget.

The funding supports Hydra (layer-2 scaling), Ouroboros Leios (consensus upgrade for higher throughput), and Project Acropolis (modular node architecture). Milestone-based payouts and third-party oversight by Intersect ensure accountability.

What this means: This is bullish for ADA as it accelerates scalability and developer tools, potentially boosting DeFi adoption. (Source)

2. Account Enhancement CIP Drafted (5 August 2025)

Overview: A new CIP proposes letting users pay fees in native tokens (not just ADA) and lock non-ADA assets as deposits, addressing a key UX bottleneck.

The change shifts deposit accounting to reward mechanisms, eliminating the need for 1 ADA minimum per UTxO. This simplifies microtransactions for voting, governance, and DeFi.

What this means: This is neutral-to-bullish, as it could attract more dApp builders but requires community ratification. (Source)

3. CNCLI v6.6.0 Released (4 August 2025)

Overview: The latest CNCLI update improves block propagation times and adds debugging tools for stake pool operators (SPOs).

Key features include enhanced logging for transaction processing and optimized memory usage, reducing operational costs for SPOs.

What this means: This is neutral for ADA but critical for network reliability, ensuring smoother node performance during high activity. (Source)

Conclusion

Cardano’s codebase is evolving through community-funded scalability upgrades and UX refinements, balancing decentralization with technical rigor. With Ouroboros Leios and Hydra nearing implementation, how will these changes impact ADA’s position in the Layer 1 race?

What is next on ADA’s roadmap?

TLDR

Cardano's development continues with these milestones:

  1. SEC ETF Decision (26 October 2025) – Final verdict on Grayscale’s Cardano ETF proposal.

  2. Cardano Card Launch (Q4 2025) – Self-custody debit card for crypto spending.

  3. Ouroboros Leios Upgrade (Q4 2025 – Q1 2026) – Scalability-focused consensus protocol.

Deep Dive

1. SEC ETF Decision (26 October 2025)

Overview: The SEC’s deadline to approve or deny Grayscale’s Cardano ETF is October 26, 2025. Approval would mark the first U.S.-listed ADA ETF, potentially attracting institutional capital. Cardano already has ETPs in Europe, but U.S. approval could significantly boost liquidity and legitimacy (Cardanians_io).
What this means: A "yes" could drive demand for ADA as ETFs require underlying asset holdings, while a rejection may dampen short-term sentiment.

2. Cardano Card Launch (Q4 2025)

Overview: A physical/virtual debit card enabling users to spend ADA, BTC, and stablecoins via Apple/Google Pay while retaining self-custody. The card aims to bridge crypto with everyday transactions (Cardanians_io).
What this means: Bullish for adoption, as seamless spending could attract retail users. Risks include regulatory hurdles and competition from existing crypto cards.

3. Ouroboros Leios Upgrade (Q4 2025 – Q1 2026)

Overview: A critical consensus protocol upgrade to improve transaction throughput without compromising decentralization. Founder Charles Hoskinson called it “competitively necessary” after delays (Cardanians_io).
What this means: This could enhance Cardano’s appeal for high-throughput DeFi and institutional use cases. Delays or technical issues remain key risks.

Conclusion

Cardano’s roadmap balances regulatory milestones (ETF), user-facing products (Cardano Card), and foundational upgrades (Leios). The ETF decision is the immediate catalyst, while long-term success hinges on delivering scalability and real-world utility. How might institutional inflows reshape ADA’s liquidity dynamics post-ETF?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.