Charles Hoskinson pushed back against frustrated Cardano holders in a video shared by a community member on May 23. He challenged the “no” voters on treasury proposals and questioned whether a price recovery alone is a real vision. “Was your life any different when ADA was a hundred billion dollars?” he asked.
Meanwhile, ADA trades at $0.24 – a fraction of its 2021 all-time high near $3. Let’s break down his video, his new tweet from today, and give our honest opinion on why ADA holders are upset.
What you'll learn 👉
Hoskinson: Stop Complaining, Give Me a Vision
In the video, Hoskinson starts by challenging the community. He says something like: “Either you have me give it to you or you give me one.” He asks people to inspire him as a community member.
He directly challenges those who vote “no” on treasury proposals. “What’s the alternative? Where do you want to go? What’s the point of it?” he asks. The message is clear: criticism without a vision is meaningless.
He points back to 2021 when Cardano’s market cap hit roughly $100 billion. “Tell me, was your life any different back then honestly speaking? Did we change the world when ADA was a hundred billion dollars?” he says. He questions whether just recovering price – say 60% of previous highs – actually achieves anything meaningful.
Hoskinson criticizes the focus on short-term gains. “Do we achieve Nirvana if we recover 60% of where we were? Where do we go from there?” he asks. He argues that crypto should be about more than simply making holders wealthier.
I guess @IOHK_Charles makes a good point.
— Sic (@Sic2336) May 23, 2026
And yes, it's right. Our lives were not different back in 2021 when Cardano was at $100B mcap. And I do think most people are angry because $ADA is tanking.
But it's been 5 years since then and nothing has changed. We didn't change the… pic.twitter.com/lT3LPpWGaz
He ends by asking for a bigger mission. “What did you do for the world? … So inspire me. What vision are you giving us? You seem to be bereft of one.” The tone is classic Charles – philosophical, confrontational, and focused on long-term goals instead of price action.
Hoskinson’s Tweet Today: Full Focus on Cardano and Midnight
Hoskinson posted a new tweet on May 25 after reflecting on the governance process. He wrote: “After reflecting deeply on this governance process, a few things are clearer to me than ever. Cardano is alive. The community is engaged. And that matters more than any single vote.”
He emphasized that Cardano’s governance is real. “You are not passive holders. You are owners. That is exactly what we built this for,” he said. According to Hoskinson, community participation proves the system is functioning as intended.
He also highlighted the role of the “Pentad” – IOG, EMURGO, the Cardano Foundation, Midnight Foundation, and Intersect. Hoskinson said these groups coordinated effectively when Cardano needed it most. He believes this coordination layer is now critical for the ecosystem’s future.
Hoskinson confirmed he will attend the Cardano Summit in Singapore and appear on stage. He is also personally upgrading the Token2049 sponsorship to Title level. He invited the Pentad to have a serious discussion about governance and future coordination.
After reflecting deeply on this governance process, a few things are clearer to me than ever.
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) May 24, 2026
Cardano is alive. The community is engaged. And that matters more than any single vote.
But this process has shown me something important: Cardano's governance is real. You are not…
He closed the tweet with a direct statement to the community. “I am 100% focused on Cardano and Midnight. Always have been. Let me prove it.”
Read also: Midnight Price Prediction: NIGHT Eyes 40% Rally as Cardano Expands Into BTCFi
Our Opinion: ADA Holders Have Every Right to Be Frustrated
We understand ADA holders. Price action in 2026 has been nothing short of slow. The ADA price trades at $0.24, down over 90% from its peak near $3. That is brutal for long-term investors.
What makes the frustration worse is that many major altcoins performed far better during the 2024-2025 bull run. Ethereum hit a new all-time high above $4,900 in late 2025. XRP reached $3.65, surpassing its 2018 peak.
Solana also exploded past $200, far above previous highs. Even Dogecoin – a meme coin – got closer to reclaiming its 2021 highs than Cardano did. DOGE touched $0.45 in 2024, while ADA never even reclaimed $1.5.
That is a difficult reality for ADA holders. Hoskinson’s question – “did your life change when ADA was $100 billion?” – misses the point for many investors. A lot of people entered crypto primarily to build wealth, not necessarily to change the world.
We respect Hoskinson’s long-term vision and Cardano’s governance experiment. The Pentad coordination and Singapore summit are positive developments. But dismissing price frustration as shallow overlooks the very real disappointment many holders feel after years of underperformance.
A stronger response would be to acknowledge the underperformance while still pushing the long-term mission. Investors can care about both vision and price. Those things are not mutually exclusive.
That said, Cardano is not dead. The Leios upgrade, SecondFi, and native USDCx integration could eventually change the trajectory. But until the chart starts showing real strength, frustration inside the community will remain.
Hoskinson should listen to that frustration, not just challenge it.
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