- Mainnet glitch slowed Cardano block production but did not stop the chain.
- ADA price fell sharply as market pressure and criticism intensified.
- Concerns are rising about the network’s readiness ahead of the Midnight launch.
Cardano has come under scrutiny after a mainnet incident temporarily slowed block production, adding downward pressure to an already bearish market environment.
The disruption occurred during a tense period for the broader crypto market, contributing to further weakness in ADA’s price and raising fresh questions about the network’s preparedness for upcoming milestones.
Mainnet glitch sparks network jitters
The slowdown in block production began after Cardano (ADA) experienced a technical issue on its mainnet, echoing a similar problem that appeared in the Preview environment a day earlier.
According to Intersect, the community organization coordinating development efforts across the ecosystem, the issue did not halt block production entirely but did cause a significant delay.
Engineers from Intersect, the Cardano Foundation and Input Output Global (IOG) moved quickly to diagnose the problem and coordinate a fix.
Node operators running version 10.3.1 or later were advised to upgrade to Cardano Node 10.5.2, a release intended to address inconsistencies in hash size and a network bug related to peer selection.
Operators on older software versions were not required to take immediate action, and Daedalus wallet users were not impacted.
Even with reassurances, visible congestion raised concern among community members closely monitoring chain activity.
Following an issue identified in the Preview environment yesterday, Cardano is currently experiencing a technical issue now on Mainnet.
Currently block production has slowed, and we’re working closely with @Cardano_CF and @InputOutputHK as we coordinate a technical response.…
— Intersect (@IntersectMBO) November 21, 2025
The timing of the glitch was especially sensitive as the network prepares for increased activity tied to the upcoming Midnight sidechain launch scheduled for December 8.
Some users downplayed the event, noting that only specific node versions were affected and that the wider network continued operating at a slower pace. Others expressed concern that the delay could point to deeper scalability challenges.
Market reaction as ADA losses deepen
The glitch emerged during an already fragile market phase, and ADA quickly became one of the session’s biggest underperformers.
Over 24 hours, Cardano (ADA) fell 12.86%, sliding from $0.4697 to as low as $0.3911 before a modest rebound.
That decline outpaced the broader market’s 7.76% drop, intensifying worries about ADA’s short‑term resilience.
Negative sentiment was further fueled by renewed attention to the long-running “ghost chain” narrative, revived by critics highlighting Cardano’s relatively small stablecoin footprint and modest decentralized exchange volumes compared with larger networks.
With adoption metrics under renewed scrutiny, the mainnet disruption added pressure, creating what some analysts described as a “perfect storm” that accelerated selling across trading platforms.
Technically, ADA’s breach of the key $0.40 support zone triggered algorithmic selling and additional liquidations.
Indicators — including a decline in the RSI to deeply oversold levels and a bearish MACD crossover — point to waning upward momentum.
The next significant support is now near $0.33 unless ADA can reclaim $0.44, a level that previously acted as a short‑term pivot.