Charles Hoskinson, the guy behind Cardano, had some pretty direct things to say recently. He basically doubled down on his commitment to the project, which isn’t surprising, but the way he said it felt different. More personal, maybe.
He didn’t shy away from the constant comparisons with Ethereum, either. In fact, he leaned right into them.
No Ambiguity on the Goal
“Do I even for a moment want Ethereum to be ahead of ADA? No. I want Cardano to win,” Hoskinson said. It’s a straightforward admission you don’t always hear. He went further, tying his own life and reputation directly to the success or failure of ADA. That’s a heavy load to carry, and it probably explains the intense focus.
He described a daily routine centered entirely on improvement. Waking up and immediately thinking about how to make things better. It sounds a bit exhausting, to be honest, but it’s the kind of drive you’d expect from a founder.
Acknowledging Past Shortfalls
What was interesting, though, was his willingness to look back critically. He pointed out areas where Cardano had previously fallen short. Things like the developer experience, or DevEx. They built the foundational tech, the languages, but perhaps didn’t provide the polished tools developers needed to easily build on top of it.
Smart contracts were another area he mentioned. They were in the ecosystem, but maybe not as fully realized as they could have been. It’s a candid admission that adds a layer of credibility. It’s not all just forward-looking promises.
New Projects as a Path Forward
But the point wasn’t to dwell on the past. He quickly pivoted to what’s happening now. He highlighted new projects like GlacierDrop, which uses Cardano’s Hydra scaling solution and works with its smart contracts. He also brought up Midnight, noting it’s a native Cardano token.
The key takeaway he seemed to be pushing is that they’re now eating their own dog food, so to speak. He stated that he faces the same challenges and uses the same tools as the developers building on Cardano. That shared experience, he thinks, is crucial for driving real, practical improvement.
He wrapped up with a simple, almost stark, closing thought: “If we can’t do it, you can’t either. That’s why we build products.” It’s a line that feels less like a boast and more like a principle. The entire effort is a bet on their own ability to create a usable, functional ecosystem.
It’s a compelling argument, I think. One that shifts the focus from pure speculation to actual utility and building. Whether it works, well, that’s the big question everyone is waiting to see answered.
