Cardano has been pioneered by a team of academics and engineers, and is offering a unique approach to scaling and securing a blockchain network. Cardano is a non-profit platform with three separate bodies responsible for maintaining and developing the platform. The cryptocurrency which operated in the Cardano network is called ADA and is, like others, can be used for direct value transfer. Furthermore, the network will soon be able to handle smart contracts. CoinDesk also provides a suite of institutional-grade price indexes. Find out more about them here.