Share this article

Cardano's ADA Leaps to 2.5-Year High of 90 Cents as Whale Holdings Exceed $12B

On-chain activity shows the involvement of large investors and institutions, indicating that the price surge could have staying power.

Updated Nov 22, 2024, 8:46 a.m. Published Nov 22, 2024, 8:43 a.m.
Cardano's ADA has climbed to the highest price since May 2022. (CoinDesk)
Cardano's ADA has climbed to the highest price since May 2022. (CoinDesk)
  • Cardano's ADA hit the highest level since May 2022.
  • On-chain activity shows large traders are participating in the price rally.

As bitcoin gets closer to the $100,000 mark for the first time — it crossed $99,000 earlier Friday — capital is rotating into alternative cryptocurrencies, creating a buzz in the broader crypto market.

Amid the excitement, proof-of-stake smart-contract blockchain Cardano's native cryptocurrency ada is having its moment. The token has surged 10% in the past 24 hours, trading at 90 cents early Friday on Coinbase and other exchanges. That's the highest price since May 2022, according to CoinDesk Indices data.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

The price has risen 22% this week, taking the month-to-date gain to 152%. That has raised the token's market capitalization to $30.85 billion, making it the world's 10th-largest digital asset. In contrast, the CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), a measure of the broader crypto market, has advanced 14% this week and 58% this month.

ADA's rally is accompanied by continued accumulation from whales, hefty crypto addresses with more than $10 million in the token. According to Tagus Capital, whales now hold over $12 billion in ADA.

On-chain activity confirms the involvement of whales and institutions, indicating that this rally could have staying power. Data from analytics firm IntoTheBlock shows the number of large transactions involving ADA has skyrocketed by 300% in two weeks.

It's a sign of "heightened interest from institutional investors," Tagus Capital said in a daily newsletter, noting the spike in large transactions. "Some of this momentum is sentiment-driven, as previously noted, with Cardano's founder, Charles Hoskinson, hinting at potential collaborations with the Trump administration for crypto-friendly policies."


More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

These Three Metrics Show Bitcoin Found Strong Support Near $80,000

True Market Mean (Glassnode)

Onchain data shows multiple cost basis metrics confirm heavy demand and investor conviction around the $80,000 price level.

What to know:

  • Bitcoin rebounded from the $80,000 region after a sharp correction from its October all time high, with price holding above the average entry levels of key metrics.
  • The convergence of the True Market Mean, U.S. ETF cost basis, and the 2024 yearly cost basis around the low $80,000 range highlights this zone as a major area of structural support.