Quai vs Cardano
Quai is proof of work with the EVM. Cardano is proof of stake with its own contract languages. Quai's blocks are about four times faster, Ethereum tools work on it without changes, and it earns revenue from other chains through SOAP.
Facts reviewed in November 2026.
Where Quai is stronger
Proof-of-work security
On Cardano, the pools with the most delegated ADA produce the most blocks. On Quai, miners spend energy, and no stake is needed.
More protocol revenue
In the last 12 months, Quai earned $6.0M in protocol revenue. Cardano earned $150K. Source: DefiLlama.
The EVM, not a new language
Cardano contracts need its own languages and its own model. Quai runs the EVM, so Solidity contracts and Ethereum tools work without changes.
Blocks four times faster
A Quai block arrives about every 5 seconds. A Cardano block arrives about every 20 seconds.
Money to save and money to spend
QUAI is the store of value, with emission that slows as the network grows. Qi is cash whose supply follows mining difficulty and the cost of energy. One network does both jobs.
Other chains pay for the burn
Through SOAP, miners of Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Ravencoin also mine Quai. The rewards from the blocks they find buy QUAI on the open market, and that QUAI is burned. No other network has this.
At a glance
| Property | Quai (QUAI) | Cardano (ADA) |
|---|---|---|
| Consensus | Proof of work, with PoEM consensus | Proof of stake, with the Ouroboros protocol |
| Secured by | Miners with SHA-256, Scrypt, or KawPoW hardware | Stake pools that hold delegated ADA |
| Block time | About 5 seconds | About 20 seconds |
| Smart contracts | Yes. The EVM runs on the base layer. | Yes. Plutus and Aiken, on an extended UTXO model, with no EVM on the main chain. |
| Supply | Emission slows as the network grows, and SOAP buybacks burn QUAI. 1.9 billion genesis QUAI was burned. | Fixed cap of 45 billion ADA |
| Launched | February 2025 | September 2017 |
| Revenue, 12 months | $6.0M | $150K |
Revenue is protocol revenue for the last 12 months from DefiLlama. Quai's revenue is the value of the other chains' block rewards that SOAP used to buy QUAI.
Questions people ask
Is Quai proof of stake like Cardano?
No. Quai is proof of work. Miners secure it with energy, and there is no staking for consensus.
Is Quai's research peer reviewed?
Yes. Quai's PoEM consensus and its workshare reward design are published research, and the workshare paper was accepted at the Advances in Financial Technologies conference in 2026.
Which one earns more protocol revenue?
DefiLlama tracks revenue for both networks. The table on this page shows the current 12-month figure for each one.
More comparisons
Sources
This page gives information only. It is not financial advice. See the disclaimers.