Key Insights
- Cardano price has crashed by 65% from its highest level in August this year.
- A crypto analyst believes that the token will likely rebound in 2026.
- Potential catalysts are the Pentad proposal and the Leios upgrade.
Cardano price has been in a strong downward trend this year and is now hovering near its lowest level in more than a year. It plunges to a low of $0.3627, much lower than last year’s high of $1.3206. Still, one crypto analyst believes that the coin will rebound in 2026.
Cardano Price to Rebound Ahead of the Midnight Mainnet Launch
In an X post, a user known as Cardanians noted that the coin will benefit from the upcoming Midnight mainnet launch. It will happen in the first quarter of next year.
Midnight is Cardano’s zero-knowledge network, designed for enhanced privacy. It has already launched the NIGHT token, a Cardano Native Asset, with considerable success. Data compiled by CoinMarketCap indicates that the NIGHT token has achieved a market capitalization exceeding $1 billion and a daily trading volume surpassing $1.2 billion.
The eventual Midnight mainnet launch will make it possible for developers to launch projects in industries like decentralized finance (DeFi), Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization, and gaming. This move could lead to more utility in both Midnight and Cardano.
Pentad Proposal to Introduce More Integrations
The other main catalyst for Cardano price in 2026 is the recently announced Pentad proposal. It will see the main entities in the network, such as Emurgo, Cardano Foundation, Midnight Foundation, and Input Output, spend 70 million ADA tokens to boost network growth.
The funds will be used to implement core infrastructure upgrades, with a focus on five major areas, including tier-1 stablecoin integration. It could position Cardano as a major player in the stablecoin industry.
Today, Cardano has less than $40 million worth of stablecoins, cross-chain bridges, oracle data feeds, and institutional data feeds.
The plan had already started to take shape, with Pyth Network becoming the first mainstream oracle network to join Cardano. Pyth will now make it easier for developers to build apps in areas like DeFi by providing them with quality data feeds.
If successful, Leios will help address the biggest challenge facing Cardano today, as it is often perceived as a ghost chain.
Data compiled by DeFi Llama shows that Cardano has $171 million in total value locked (TVL). It is much lower than other recently launched networks, like Plasma and Monad. It also has limited DEX activity, with a 24-hour volume of less than $10 million.
ADA Price to Benefit from the Upcoming Leios Upgrade
Meanwhile, the analyst believes that Cardano price will benefit from the upcoming Leios upgrade. It is expected to launch in the second half of the year.
Leios aims to make Cardano one of the fastest players in the crypto industry. It will introduce the concept of parallel block processing, which will increase the throughput to match Solana’s speed, while preserving its decentralization.
Cardano Price Technicals Point to a Potential Rebound
The daily timeframe chart shows that the ADA price has been in a free fall over the past few months. It has crashed from a high of $1.0155 on August 14 to its current level of $0.3636. This fall has coincided with the ongoing crypto market crash, which has affected Bitcoin and most altcoins.
A closer look at the chart reveals that the token is becoming oversold, with the Stochastic Oscillator reaching its lowest level in months. Similarly, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has continued to fall and is nearing the oversold level of 30.
The token has also formed a falling wedge pattern, with the two trendlines nearing their confluence level. A wedge is made up of two descending and converging trendlines, often leading to a strong bullish breakout.
Therefore, the most likely scenario is where it rebounds in 2026 and hits the key resistance level at $1.00. This view will be confirmed when it moves above the key resistance level at $0.50.
Crispus is a distinguished Financial Analyst at, bringing over 12 years of expertise in cryptocurrency markets, specializing in Bitcoin and altcoins. Renowned for his sharp insights at the nexus of market trends and breaking news, Crispus delivers actionable analysis to empower investors. His work is prominently featured across leading platforms, including BanklessTimes, CoinJournal, HypeIndex, SeekingAlpha, Forbes, InvestingCube, Investing.com, and MoneyTransfers.com, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice in the financial world.
