Cardano's smart contract advancements, particularly with Plutus V2, have driven over 35,000 contracts by April 2024, boosting ADA’s DeFi potential and contributing to a 140% price surge by February 2025. Its scalability and energy-efficient Ouroboros PoS outshine Ethereum’s congested network. However, declining wallet growth reflects fading investor interest, potentially limiting ADA’s upside. Ethereum, with $148 billion in locked assets, dwarfs Cardano’s $25 million, highlighting ETH’s entrenched ecosystem. Cardano’s edge lies in tech, but adoption and trust remain key to challenging ETH’s dominance.