Cardano (ADA) is now facing renewed scrutiny after a challenging year marked by significant price losses and slowing ecosystem momentum. Over recent weeks, a combination of technical signals, management decisions and regulatory speculation have brought the ADA back into focus.
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While optimism has returned to parts of the market, the network now faces a critical test: whether a short-term recovery can translate into sustainable progress in terms of price, adoption and infrastructure.
ADA's price trends slightly upwards on low timeframes as seen on the daily chart. Source: ADAUSD on Tradingview
Cardano’s (ADA) technical signals suggest an improvement in momentum
Cardano price the action has shown signs of stabilization after falling more than 60% in 2025. Currently, ADA has formed its first golden cross in 2026, with the short-term moving average crossing above the long-term averages on both the hourly and two-hour charts.
The ADA also printed its first positive weekly candle in more than two months, reflecting improving sentiment. At the time of writing, the token is trading around a range of $0.41 to $0.416, supported by higher futures open interest and daily trading volume near recent highs.
However, the price remains capped by resistance near $0.401, a level that aligns with the 50-day moving average and has rebuffed multiple breakout attempts since late 2024. A sustained move above this zone is widely seen as necessary for further growth towards higher historical ranges.
Funding management and ecosystem priorities
In addition to charts, Cardano has taken steps to address ecosystem development through governance. Network governing bodies have ratified a proposal authorizing the withdrawal of 70 million ADA for critical integrations.
Funding is intended to support infrastructure additions such as stablecoin integrations and Oracle services, including work related to USDC, USDT and Pyth. Parallel, Cardano Foundation has allocated additional resources to increase stablecoin liquidity, which is a key requirement for competitive DeFi activity.
Founder Charles Hoskinson emphasized that future success will be measured less by short-term price movements and more by growth in metrics such as active users, total locked value and real-world usage.
Coming up Ouroboros Leios upgrade and the planned expansion of Midnight, a privacy-focused sidechain, are central to this strategy.
ETF Expectations and Outlook for 2026
Another factor shaping expectations is the possibility of a spot Cardano ETF in the United States. While no applications have been approved until December 2025, products such as the Grayscale Cardano ADA Trust remain under SEC review, with decisions now expected in early 2026.
Previous approvals of Bitcoin and Ethereum spot ETFs have raised expectations, although analysts note that the ADA faces additional scrutiny related to the classification debate.
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All together, Cardano enters 2026 at a crucial time. Technical indicators point to recovery, management measures are aimed at strengthening the ecosystem, and regulatory developments could affect the institutional approach. Whether these elements will align into a permanent new phase will depend on execution in the coming months.
Cover image from ChatGPT, ADAUSD chart from Tradingview
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