Cardano Holders Are Losing Patience as ADA Sinks Toward the Top-10 Edge – Can It Recover?

Cardano is trending again, but not for the reasons its community hoped.

A Reddit post from a five-year holder has sparked discussion after he admitted they might have “been caught up in confirmation bias” and wondered why Cardano feels like “the best idea that never materialized.”

“I am losing hope but still hoping,” one reply said. Another added, “If I could turn back time I would not invest in Cardano.”

Ouch. It’s not hard to see why people are frustrated. ADA has fallen roughly 30% this month, losing the key $0.50 support level and slipping dangerously close to the bottom of the top-10 crypto rankings.

Network activity and DeFi liquidity also remain far below competitors, adding more pressure to ADA’s valuation.

A Tough November: Chain Split and Shaken Confidence

Sentiment weakened even further after Cardano suffered a rare chain split on November 21. The issue was triggered by a malformed delegation transaction that newer node versions accepted and older ones rejected, causing the ledger to diverge.

Developers pushed a hotfix, and no funds were lost.

But the incident, rare for a chain known for its strict engineering, raised fresh questions about reliability at a time when ADA was already under pressure.

The Bigger Issues: Liquidity, Adoption, and Slow Execution

Inside the Reddit thread, the complaints weren’t just about the recent bugs. Users pointed to the long-standing problems: no native USDC or USDT, thin liquidity across DeFi, slow execution on major upgrades, and a lack of real-world adoption.

Many said they mostly just hold and stake ADA, with no compelling reason to use the network for anything else.

Some also raised concerns about leadership, arguing that Cardano relies too much on Hoskinson while the Cardano Foundation continues to hold a large treasury without clear deployment. Marketing came up as well, with users saying Cardano has failed to keep up in an industry where narrative and visibility matter.

Progress Behind the Scenes

Despite the rough month, Cardano’s development work hasn’t slowed.

IOG launched a public tracker for Ouroboros Leios, the network’s next major scalability upgrade, marking its move deeper into engineering. Weekly reports also show progress on performance fixes, node improvements, and governance updates.

Where Cardano Goes From Here

Cardano still has committed builders, strong engineering, and one of the most loyal communities in crypto. But the message from long-time holders is clear: without stablecoins, deeper liquidity, real-world usage, and more visible execution, ADA risks sliding further down the rankings.

The technology is advancing but the market wants results.

ADA is currently trading in the $0.42-$0.44 range. Despite broader market volatility, Cardano remains unusually flat, with $0.42 acting as immediate support and $0.45 still the level bulls need to reclaim to show momentum.