According to @ItsDave_ADA, Cardano’s native asset functionality, introduced with the Mary hard fork on March 1, 2021, enables users to create and manage custom tokens directly on the blockchain without relying on smart contracts. This development significantly reduces transaction costs and technical barriers for token issuance, making Cardano a competitive platform for new token launches and DeFi projects. Traders should note that Cardano’s approach streamlines asset creation, potentially attracting more projects from Ethereum and driving higher ADA transaction volume. These factors can impact ADA’s liquidity and price action, as observed since the Mary upgrade (source: @ItsDave_ADA, May 17, 2025).