For years, Cardano (ADA) has been a cornerstone of the crypto landscape, consistently ranking among the top digital assets by market capitalization. Yet, despite its prominence, ADA’s performance has left many investors questioning its long-term prospects.

While it recently made headlines for being included in US President Donald Trump’s initial proposal for a national crypto stockpile, its price action and onchain activity tell a different story — one that has even led some critics to brand it a “zombie.”

Recent findings suggest that the ecosystem behind ADA, the Cardano network, lags significantly behind in decentralized finance (DeFi) adoption. With only a fraction of the total value locked (TVL) compared with Ethereum and Solana, Cardano struggles to attract liquidity and stablecoin activity.

While some argue that its DeFi sector is still in its early stages, several newer blockchains have outpaced it in user engagement and trading volume. The question now is whether upcoming developments can reverse the trend.

With key catalysts on the horizon, such as a potential ADA exchange-traded fund (ETF) and its emerging role in Bitcoin’s DeFi ecosystem, 2025 could be a pivotal year for ADA. But will these developments be enough to turn the tide?

To uncover the full story and explore the current state of Cardano’s native token, watch the full video now on the Cointelegraph YouTube channel!