In the seven years since it was first developed, Dogecoin has risen out of the crowded space of Bitcoin alternatives to reach the top twenty cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The currency has earned endorsements by celebrities as diverse as Elon Musk and Snoop Dogg, who helped propel its ascent.

Almost overnight, it seems like non-fungible tokens (or NFTs) have shot into the mainstream. Every day there’s a new headline about a celebrity, social media influencer, or youtube star selling a piece of digital art on the blockchain for an insane amount of money.

Ever since Ethereum exploded onto the cryptocurrency scene and enriched early investors, numerous blockchain networks have been jockeying to capture a piece of its market share. This is understandable— smart contracts and programmable money could disrupt many sectors of the world economy in much the same way email disrupted the post office or Amazon disrupted retail, especially in areas like government and law. Cardano is one of the frontrunners in this competition.