 
 
Cardano, positioning itself as a strong contender against established platforms like Ethereum, is experiencing remarkable growth in smart contract deployment.
Recent data from Cardano Blockchain Insights reveals a surge in V1 and V2 Plutus smart contracts, reaching an impressive 24,050 as of January 24. This marks a significant 67% increase from the 14,379 contracts recorded at the start of the year.
This surge in smart contracts aligns with Cardano’s expansion in 2023, during which nearly 10,000 contracts were added. It reflects the platform’s ongoing commitment to development and innovation.
The increase in smart contracts coincides with strategic efforts by the Plutus Core language development team. The execution of common subexpression elimination (CSE) for Untyped Plutus Core has resulted in substantial improvements. Plutus Core, acting as the programming language connecting smart contracts with Cardano’s settlement layer, has witnessed enhanced efficiency.
Parallelly, Cardano’s development landscape shows promise. Input Output Global (IOG) reports 157 launched projects and 1,319 projects actively under development as of the week ending January 19. The platform also saw key releases in 2024, including Marlowe, the first Hydra release of the year, and an upgrade to the Lace wallet.
  
Cardano Witnesses Unprecedented Drop in Whale Transactions
On the other hand, Cardano’s blockchain is experiencing an extraordinary reduction in large transaction volumes commonly associated with significant whale movements.
This abrupt and substantial drop has resulted in a near-halt in the network’s usual activity. On-chain metrics are pointing towards a striking decline in the number of large transactions, a behaviour typically linked to whale activity. Such a drastic decrease often signals a shift in the network dynamics, but in this instance, the underlying reasons remain unclear.
The on-chain metrics, vital indicators of blockchain activity, reveal an unusual quietness in large transactions. These transactions, often representative of whale behaviour, have seen an unexpected and steep decline. The significance of such a decline is usually magnified as it hints at potential alterations in the network’s usual flow.
Cardano Market Dynamics and ADA Price
However, despite these positive developments, the price of ADA, Cardano’s native cryptocurrency, is significantly influenced by the broader market trends. As of the latest update, ADA is valued at $0.48, showing daily gains of approximately 3.32%. On a weekly chart, the token has experienced a 10% decline.
The current trading pattern indicates that ADA faces support at the $0.45 level, while $0.50 remains a critical resistance zone for the cryptocurrency. Investors and enthusiasts are closely watching how these developments in smart contracts and network enhancements will impact ADA’s position in the market.
As Cardano continues strengthening its position through increased smart contract deployment and network enhancements, investors and industry observers are eager to see how these developments will shape ADA’s standing in the market.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/cardano-smart-contracts-record-massive-67-growth-in-2024-even-as-ada-whale-transactions-dwindle/