Cardano's ADA Listing Push on Coinbase Signals Ecosystem's Quest for Global Reach

The Cardano community is actively advocating for Coinbase to list ADA and Cardano native assets, as outlined in a recent listing guide dated September 15, 2025. This call for inclusion reflects the growing interest and engagement within the Cardano ecosystem. The community emphasizes the significance of listing ADA and its native tokens on one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges globally, as it would enhance liquidity and accessibility for a broader audience. The push aligns with Cardano’s ongoing efforts to improve user participation and decentralization through staking and delegation mechanisms.

Cardano’s Shelley hard fork, completed on July 29, 2020, marked a pivotal moment in the blockchain’s evolution by transitioning the network from a centralized structure to a decentralized one. This transition enabled ADA holders to delegate their tokens to stake pools and earn rewards, fostering greater engagement within the network. The Shelley mainnet operates on a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus model, with blocks being created every 20 seconds across five-day epochs. While the technical aspects of staking were made accessible through the Daedalus wallet, users initially had to wait for stake pools to become visible on the Shelley mainnet before delegation could occur.

Daedalus remains the primary wallet for staking ADA, as it was the first to support delegation to stake pools post-harden fork. Although the Yoroi wallet also supports ADA staking, its functionality was limited at the time of the Shelley launch. Additionally, the process of staking through exchanges is anticipated to become more widespread in the future, providing alternative avenues for ADA holders to participate in the network. However, for now, users are encouraged to utilize the latest version of Daedalus to ensure compatibility and seamless staking experiences.

Staking on Cardano involves a balance between fees and rewards. Stake pool operators typically retain a portion of the staking rewards as compensation for their operational costs, including server maintenance and marketing. While lower fees may seem attractive, they do not always guarantee higher rewards for delegators. Instead, high-quality pools that are frequently chosen as slot leaders—responsible for producing blocks—tend to yield better returns despite higher fees. This dynamic underscores the importance of carefully selecting a stake pool based on performance metrics and reliability.

The community’s efforts to improve ADA’s visibility and accessibility extend beyond staking. For instance, some ADA holders have recently faced challenges with airdrops and token claims, particularly related to platforms like Midnight Glacier. Users attempting to claim airdropped tokens have encountered technical hurdles, such as the inability to sign messages from specific wallets like Trust Wallet. Workarounds have been identified, including importing seed phrases into compatible wallets like Eternl to facilitate the signing process. These challenges highlight the need for broader wallet compatibility and smoother user experiences to support the expanding Cardano ecosystem.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about user experiences on platforms like Coinbase, particularly in non-English-speaking regions. Users have reported difficulties in verifying addresses and completing withdrawals, with some facing requests for additional fees or verification steps that appear suspicious or inconsistent with Coinbase’s standard procedures. These issues have led to heightened caution within the community, with warnings against potential scams and calls for greater transparency from platforms handling ADA transactions.

As the Cardano network continues to mature, the community remains focused on advocating for the broader adoption of ADA and its native assets. The push for Coinbase to include ADA in its listings represents a strategic move to align with global exchange standards and increase the asset’s visibility. With staking participation already contributing to the network’s decentralization and security, the next phase of Cardano’s growth will likely depend on increased exchange listings and user-friendly improvements across wallet and airdrop platforms.