Cardano offer hosting of dApps and running smart contracts similar to Ethereum, it has further improved upon the concept as it splits the computational and accounting parts of the ledger into different layers.
Additionally, the base code is prepared for future upgrades, while keeping the integrity of the network. Coin supply is limited to 45 billion, expected to be reached in the year 2042.
The blockchain of Cardano is an ongoing development project with the help of countless great minds from and outside the cryptocurrency sphere. The most unique feature is as previously mentioned, the splitting in different tiers of accounting and computation.
Thus, upgrading via soft or hard fork is easily done, without damage to the community. While there’s been a shameless borrowing of ideas from other cryptos, the end goal is to deliver an all-around great product.
The Cardano project is an ever-evolving one. Currently in a somewhat initial phase, the focus of developers is ironing out of bugs and improving the capacity for future integration through APIs and third parties.