While the Cardano blockchain network celebrates significant advancements in its governance framework, its native cryptocurrency ADA continues to struggle in the market. The digital asset has faced consistent selling pressure since the start of January, with its price hovering near $0.34. This disappointing price action stands in stark contrast to the community’s recent achievements.
Broader Market Headwinds Intensify Pressure
ADA’s weakness reflects a challenging environment across the cryptocurrency sector. Bitcoin currently trades approximately 30% below its all-time high recorded in October 2025, creating substantial headwinds for alternative coins like Cardano. On a year-over-year basis, ADA has shed about 64% of its value, a steeper decline than that experienced by other leading digital currencies.
The technical picture for ADA remains bearish. After being rejected at the 50-day moving average near $0.39 in mid-January, the token has declined roughly 18%. The loss of a key support level at $0.38 signaled that sellers maintain control. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading of 39 suggests further downward momentum could be ahead.
Market data reveals a notable drop in speculative interest. Open Interest for ADA futures on the Binance exchange has fallen to $108.55 million, its lowest level since Christmas. The next critical support level to watch is the December low of $0.32. A breach of this level would bring the October low of $0.27 into focus.
Governance Advances Proceed Amid Price Slump
Despite the lackluster market performance, Cardano’s on-chain governance has reached several important milestones:
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Ratification of Updated Constitution: The revised blockchain constitution, version 2.4, officially took effect on January 24. It received nearly 80% support from Delegated Representatives (DReps). This update imposes stricter requirements for Treasury withdrawals and provides more precise documentation of governance processes.
Adoption of Vision 2030: The strategic framework outlining Cardano’s direction for the coming years was approved with 67.80% of the vote, representing a voting power of 3.77 billion ADA. More than 700 community members contributed to developing this roadmap.
Expanded DRep Delegation: The Cardano Foundation has allocated an additional 220 million ADA to eleven community DReps. These delegates, which include projects like Liqwid Finance and NMKR, are focused on driving adoption and infrastructure development.
Active Governance Proposals
Several governance proposals are currently under consideration by the community:
- A proposal from DeltaDeFi Hydra Trading seeks 1.5 million ADA to fund a Hydra-based order book exchange. Voting on this initiative closes on January 29.
- A proposal to establish a Treasury spending cap of 350 million ADA until July 2027 is currently active, holding 44% approval.
- A suggestion to name Protocol Version 11 after Max van Rossem has garnered 32% support thus far.
The coming weeks will be critical for ADA’s price trajectory. A successful defense of the $0.32 support zone could allow for stabilization. However, a reclaim of the $0.38 level is necessary to signal a break in the prevailing technical weakness. While governance developments demonstrate clear strategic progress, they have yet to translate into positive price momentum for the token.
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