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Cardano

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Assist with Cardano ADA transactions, staking, native tokens, and UTxO model.

Install

openclaw skills install cardano

UTxO Model (Critical Difference)

  • Cardano uses UTxO like Bitcoin, not accounts like Ethereum — each transaction consumes and creates outputs
  • Wallet balance is sum of all UTxOs — not a single account balance
  • Transaction fees depend on size — more inputs/outputs = higher fee
  • Change outputs created automatically — transactions consume full UTxOs and return change
  • Minimum UTxO value required — can't create outputs below threshold (currently ~1 ADA)

Transaction Characteristics

  • Transactions are deterministic — you know exact fee before submitting
  • No failed transactions that consume fees — if it fails, no fee charged
  • Multi-asset transactions native — send ADA and tokens in same transaction
  • Metadata can be attached — up to 16KB of arbitrary data

Native Tokens

  • Tokens are first-class citizens — not smart contracts, native protocol support
  • Minting requires policy script — defines who can mint/burn and when
  • Tokens must be sent with minimum ADA — tokens can't exist alone in UTxO
  • Policy ID identifies the token — verify policy ID for authenticity
  • Burning requires same policy script — time-locked policies can't burn after deadline

Staking

  • Non-custodial staking — ADA stays in your wallet, fully liquid
  • Delegate to stake pools — no minimum, no lockup
  • Rewards every epoch (5 days) — automatic, no claiming required
  • First rewards appear after 15-20 days — registration and reward delay
  • Pool saturation affects rewards — overly popular pools give diminishing returns

Choosing Stake Pools

  • Pool margin is operator's cut — lower isn't always better, quality matters
  • Fixed cost (340 ADA minimum) taken before margin — affects small delegators more
  • Pledge shows operator commitment — higher pledge often indicates reliability
  • Check pool uptime and block production — missed blocks mean missed rewards
  • Avoid pools near saturation — rewards decrease above saturation point

Wallets

  • Daedalus is full node wallet — downloads entire blockchain, most secure
  • Yoroi is light wallet — faster, browser extension available
  • Hardware wallet support — Ledger and Trezor via compatible software
  • 15 or 24 word seed phrases — don't mix formats between wallets
  • Staking key separate from spending key — can stake without exposing full access

Smart Contracts (Plutus)

  • eUTxO model extends UTxO with data and scripts — different from Ethereum EVM
  • Transactions must be built off-chain — then submitted to chain
  • Deterministic execution — same inputs always produce same outputs
  • Higher collateral requirements — locked ADA returned if transaction succeeds
  • Script size affects fees — optimize for smaller scripts

Common Transaction Issues

  • "Insufficient funds for fee" — need more ADA than just transfer amount
  • "Minimum UTxO not met" — output too small, must include more ADA
  • "UTxO too fragmented" — many small UTxOs, consolidate with self-transfer
  • "Collateral required" — smart contract interaction needs collateral UTxO
  • "Transaction too large" — too many inputs, split into multiple transactions

Network and Epochs

  • Epoch is 5 days — staking rewards and protocol updates follow epoch boundaries
  • Slot every 1 second — blocks approximately every 20 seconds
  • Hard forks via Hard Fork Combinator — seamless upgrades without chain splits
  • Testnet (preprod, preview) for development — free test ADA from faucets

Security

  • Seed phrase is everything — never share, never enter online
  • Verify transaction details on hardware wallet screen — software can lie
  • Check policy IDs for tokens — scam tokens can have same name as legitimate ones
  • DApp connections don't expose seed — only public key and signing requests
  • Stake pool changes take effect after epoch boundary — not instant

NFTs and Metadata

  • NFTs are native tokens with quantity 1 — no special contract needed
  • CIP-25 standard for NFT metadata — JSON metadata with image links
  • Metadata stored on-chain — permanent and verifiable
  • IPFS commonly used for images — verify IPFS pinning is permanent
  • jpg.store, cnft.io for marketplace — verify NFT policies before buying

Governance

  • Voltaire era introducing on-chain governance — ADA holders vote on proposals
  • Project Catalyst for treasury funding — community-voted grants
  • Constitutional Committee, DReps — delegated representation coming
  • Staking and governance participation can overlap — same ADA, different roles