Ethereum vs Cardano, what is the difference?

Ethereum vs Cardano is a comparison of two general-purpose smart contract blockchains. Ethereum launched in July 2015 and moved to proof of stake in 2022. Cardano was built from the start as a proof-of-stake network, written in the Haskell language with a research-first approach. The two differ most in how they track balances and run contracts.

How do Cardano vs Ethereum smart contracts differ?

Ethereum uses an account model. Each address has a balance that is updated in place, and contracts share global state. Contracts run on the Ethereum Virtual Machine and are mostly written in Solidity, a C-style language, or Vyper, a Python-like one.

Cardano uses an extended UTXO (eUTXO) model. Instead of balances, the ledger holds discrete outputs that are spent whole and replaced by new ones. A contract, called a validator, decides whether an output can be spent, using attached data (a datum) and an argument (a redeemer). Cardano contracts are written in Plutus or Aiken, both functional languages.

The practical effect is predictability. Cardano's docs say a transaction names its exact inputs, so it can be checked locally before it is sent, and if an input has already been spent the attempt fails off-chain at no cost. On Ethereum, the outcome can change between building a transaction and running it, because other transactions may touch the same state first.

How do fees work in Ethereum vs Cardano?

On Ethereum, fees are paid in gas, priced in ETH, and part of each fee is burned. The cost depends on how much computation a transaction needs, so complex contract calls cost more than simple transfers, and prices move with demand for block space. See what are gas fees.

Cardano's minimum fee is a fixed formula based on transaction size in bytes, so wallets can show the exact fee before signing. Contracts have a separate, priced execution budget. Cardano says there is no open auction for block space.

How does Cardano vs Ethereum staking compare?

To run its own Ethereum validator, a person must deposit 32 ETH and keep the software online. Smaller holders can use pooled or liquid staking, or an exchange, which add counterparty or smart contract risk. Validators that go offline are penalized, and provable misbehavior leads to slashing. Withdrawals have been possible since April 2023. More detail is in what is Ethereum staking.

Cardano staking works by delegation. ADA holders assign their stake to a stake pool with an on-chain certificate, and the ADA never leaves their wallet. There is no lock-up and no slashing; if a pool performs poorly, delegators just miss rewards. Registering a stake key needs a refundable 2 ADA deposit, and rewards start after a delay of roughly 15 to 20 days, then arrive about every five-day epoch.