Beginner guide

New to Cardano? Start here

Four steps, about twenty minutes, no prior crypto needed.

  1. 1

    Get a wallet

    A Cardano wallet is a free app that holds your ADA and tokens. Popular choices are Lace, Eternl, and Vespr (mobile). Write the recovery phrase on paper and never type it into a website — CatScan will never ask for it.

    Lace ↗Eternl ↗Vespr ↗
  2. 2

    Get some ADA

    ADA is Cardano's native coin and what every token is priced in. Buy it on an exchange such as Coinbase or Kraken, then withdraw it to your wallet's receive address (it starts with addr1). Keep a few ADA spare — each transaction needs a small fee, and swaps hold a refundable deposit.

    Coinbase ↗Kraken ↗
  3. 3

    Find a token

    Use the search box or the lists here to look a token up. On its page, check liquidity (how much ADA sits in the pool — thin pools move violently), 24h volume, and the buy/sell pressure. The contract ID on the page is the one to match in your wallet, since names can be copied.

    Top tokensMarket overviewNewest pools
  4. 4

    Swap

    Swaps happen on a Cardano DEX such as Minswap, not on CatScan. Check the token's policy ID on its CatScan page, open the DEX, connect your wallet, enter an amount of ADA, review the price impact and minimum received, then sign in your wallet. The order settles on-chain within a few minutes. Afterwards, paste your address into the portfolio tracker to watch the value.

    Check CATSKYPortfolio tracker
Safety basics. Nobody legitimate will DM you for your recovery phrase. Bookmark the sites you use. Check the contract ID, not just the name. Start with an amount you can afford to lose entirely — most new tokens go to zero. Nothing here is financial advice.

Want more depth? Cardano guides on catsky.io.