Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano (ADA) and one of the most important figures in the cryptocurrency world, spoke about the losses the sector has experienced in the last four years and the political disappointments during a broadcast he participated in.
Hoskinson stated that the technology had not failed, but rather the chaos created by the US government had hit the industry, and admitted that $2.5 billion had “vanished” from his personal fortune.
Hoskinson said that there was great optimism in the sector following Donald Trump’s election, but expectations were not met. He harshly criticized the Trump administration for launching its own cryptocurrency (TRUMP) instead of providing clarity, saying, “We thought the government would fill our bags with money, but the first thing they did was pull a ‘rugpull’ scam on us.”
The renowned software developer expressed his disappointment that the altcoin market would remain stagnant throughout 2025 and made the following prediction for 2026: “2026 is not a bull market year, but a reset year.”
According to Hoskinson, individual investors are tired of being constantly disappointed by promises of “10x returns” and don’t want to return to the market.
Hoskinson stated that the future of crypto lies in “4th Generation” technologies. Arguing that the current complex structure (wallets, private keys, DEX usage) needs to change, the founder gave the example of Starbucks: “When you go to Starbucks, they don’t explain step-by-step how to make a latte, you just order a latte. Crypto should also be ‘intent’ focused; that is, the user should simply say ‘I want to buy this coin at this price,’ and the technology should handle it in the background.”
Hoskinson stated that cryptocurrencies should inherently be politically, geographically, and ethnically neutral. He argued that the concept of “American crypto” contradicts the fundamental philosophy of cryptocurrency, saying, “The moment you call something ‘American crypto,’ it ceases to be a sensible product.”
Hoskinson, who also provided information about his own project Cardano, reminded that the network has now achieved a completely decentralized governance structure and has a constitutional administration. He warned that by 2026, the market will either fall into the hands of Wall Street institutions and transform into a “digital surveillance tower,” or it will return to users through a retail revolution.
*This is not investment advice.