Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said he never promised that ADA would rise, addressing frustrated investors during a heated livestream as the token trades near multi-year lows.
According to BeInCrypto data, ADA trades near $0.1635, down 26.6% over the past month. The token is also roughly 94.7% below its all-time high of $3.09, reached in September 2021.
Hoskinson Says Cardano’s Roadmap Is Complete
Hoskinson described Cardano’s roadmap as a five-era development plan that guided the network from launch to full decentralized governance. Each era added a core feature to the blockchain:
- Byron (2017): Launched the Cardano network in September 2017.
- Shelley (2020): Added staking in July 2020.
- Goguen (2021): Brought smart contracts through the Alonzo hard fork.
- Basho (2022): Focused on scaling with the Vasil upgrade.
- Voltaire (2024): Introduced on-chain governance through the Chang hard fork.
The last step came in January 2025 with the Plomin hard fork, which gave ADA holders direct voting power over the network’s future.
“The roadmap is done. My job is done with Cardano,” Hoskinson said during the livestream. He added that everything he promised to build now exists.
“I have no power over this ecosystem,” he said, pointing to Cardano’s millions of users and its self-governance. In his view, the network no longer depends on him.
Dispute Centers on Price and Past Comments
Much of the frustration centers on price. During the stream, one viewer claimed that Hoskinson had promised Cardano would overtake Bitcoin.
Hoskinson said he would love for that to happen, but he never promised price gains. He also noted that ADA holders now choose their own leaders.
“I love how you say my promise of having Cardano overtake Bitcoin. I never promised that. I said I’d love for it to happen,” he said. “But you’re crazy when you say, ‘Oh, Charles promised that.’ I don’t promise price appreciation or people overturning things.”
The viewer later shared an old quote in which Hoskinson said he thinks Cardano will probably become the largest cryptocurrency. Hoskinson stressed the word “think” and said he has taken the project as far as he can.
He also argued that no endpoint would satisfy investors who want him to pump their bags. In his view, a founder who stops at $3 defrauds buyers at $3.
Meanwhile, the price numbers explain the frustration. With ADA far below its 2021 peak, many holders remain deeply underwater.
