A privacy-focused stablecoin linked to Circle has quietly become part of the story behind Cardano’s recent leap into decentralized finance.
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The token, called USDCx, was introduced to the Cardano ecosystem earlier this year as part of a broader push to develop the network’s financial infrastructure, and the subsequent numbers have caught the attention of the crypto community.
Inter-chain ambition drives capital to Cardano protocols
The data shows that the total value of Cardano locked – a measure of assets committed to DeFi services such as lending and liquidity pools – rose from 447 million ADA on February 26 to 552 million ADA on March 10.
According to stock pool operator Dave, who shared the numbers on X, that’s about a 23% gain in less than two weeks.
Analytics platform DeFiLlama tracked that the network’s TVL grew from about $127 million to about $142 million over the same period — a nearly 12% increase.
The difference between the two numbers is due to ADA’s own price movement during that period, which increased the number of domestic marks without a corresponding increase in dollar value.
However, capital flows are real. Reports show that during these 12 days, around 105 million ADAs were transferred to Cardano’s DeFi protocols.
DeFi TVL Cardano is up an impressive 23.5% in 12 days.
On February 26, it amounted to 447.13 million dollars.
today it reaches 552.35 million dollars.
That’s about $105 million in additional value now locked in Cardano’s DeFi protocols over a 12-day period.
Cardano is growing.
— Dave (@ItsDave_ADA) March 10, 2026
Cardano’s stablecoin market cap has reached nearly $48 million, a sign that backers say reflects growing confidence in the network’s financial rails.
The figure sits next to a larger building that the Cardano community voted to fund. Last year, around 50 million ADA was approved to strengthen the network’s DeFi infrastructure – money intended to make the chain more competitive with established players.
Hoskinson Eyes Bitcoin and XRP Bridge Transactions This Year
The founder of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson, commented on what will happen next. He confirmed that talks around on-chain money – connections that allow assets to move between Cardano and networks like Bitcoin and XRP – will accelerate this year.
These bridges are listed as one of the top five priorities in Cardano’s 2026 roadmap, which Hoskinson described as a make-or-break period for the project’s DeFi ambitions.
The network’s TVL, even after its recent rise, is a fraction of what established chains command. Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem contains tens of billions of dollars in blockchain assets. Solana’s figure is also ahead of Cardano’s current mark of $142 million.
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Cardano community bets on infra spending
What sets the current moment apart for Cardano is a combination of spending approved by management, new stablecoin integration, and announced plans to open the chain to external liquidity.
Whether the momentum is sustained depends in large part on how quickly these chain connections are built and how much capital they attract.
Featured image from Altify, chart from TradingView
