Cardano trades at $0.257 on Thursday after sliding more than 4% this week. Derivatives data now shows improving sentiment as funding rates turn positive. At the same time, momentum indicators signal fading bearish strength. Meanwhile, Charles Hoskinson projects that 2026 will be Cardano’s most successful year.
CoinGlass OI-Weighted Funding Rate data shows fewer traders expect further downside. Instead, long positions have increased. The funding rate flipped positive on Wednesday. It now stands at 0.0045%, which means longs pay shorts.
Historically, when funding rates shift from negative to positive, ADA often stages sharp recoveries. This pattern has appeared in past cycles. As a result, traders now monitor whether this shift marks another short-term rebound.
Funding rates reflect the balance between long and short positions. When the rate turns positive, it shows a stronger demand for long exposure. This week, the metric reversed after staying negative.
The current rate suggests traders anticipate price stabilization. Long bets have increased alongside this shift. Consequently, derivatives positioning now favors recovery rather than continued decline.
At the same time, technical indicators show fading bearish momentum. Analysts note that weakening selling pressure often precedes consolidation. Can improving funding data translate into sustained price strength?
Charles Hoskinson addressed the community during the Midnight Japan Tour 2026. He declared that 2026 will become the strongest year in Cardano’s history. He stated that it will surpass milestones achieved since the 2017 launch.
He framed Cardano’s progress as a long-term mission. Looking ahead to 2036, he said he expects to remind the community that his forecast proved accurate. His remarks energized supporters who anticipate upcoming initiatives.
Earlier, Hoskinson described 2026 as a “do-or-die year.” He said Cardano must accelerate DeFi activity. According to him, stronger decentralized finance adoption remains essential for ecosystem growth.
To support this goal, foundation leaders plan to introduce a Tier-1 stablecoin. Cardano’s 2026 budget outlines this commitment. The network also seeks to attract users from the XRP and Bitcoin ecosystems through tailored DeFi applications.
Midnight stands at the center of Cardano’s next growth phase. The privacy-focused partner sidechain has already launched its NIGHT token. Developers expect Midnight to go live as a Cardano partner chain by the end of March.
As a partner chain, Midnight will introduce selective disclosure to Cardano’s smart contract ecosystem. This feature aims to strengthen privacy while supporting compliance requirements. Developers view this as a key infrastructure upgrade.
Ahead of the launch, the Midnight Foundation secured partnerships with Telegram and Google. These collaborations aim to support network operations. Recently, the team unveiled the Midnight City Simulation, which previews scalable privacy through selective disclosure.
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Beyond Midnight, scaling milestones continue to develop. Hydra surpassed one million transactions in testing. Meanwhile, the anticipated launch of Ouroboros Leios aims to improve throughput and efficiency.
These upgrades align with Cardano’s broader roadmap. Network leaders present 2026 as a year defined by privacy integration, DeFi expansion, and scalability improvements. As derivatives sentiment shifts and development advances, market participants now track both price action and execution timelines.
Cardano price trades at $0.257 as the ADA funding rate turns positive and long positions rise. Charles Hoskinson sets 2026 as a pivotal year driven by Midnight, Hydra, and Ouroboros Leios upgrades. Traders now watch whether improving sentiment aligns with network execution.