Charles Hoskinson is drawing a parallel between Cardano and AI firm Anthropic — a late entrant that became a leader by sticking to a disciplined philosophy rather than rushing to market. The Cardano founder acknowledged the project's steep 80% decline over the past year but argued that the next phase of crypto adoption will favor security and governance over speed.
The Anthropic analogy
Hoskinson noted that Anthropic entered the AI race after Google and OpenAI but still emerged as a major player. He sees Cardano on a similar trajectory. "They came later but became a leader due to disciplined philosophy rather than speed," he said, according to remarks reported this week. The comparison is meant to reassure a community that has watched ADA's market cap shrink to $6.2 billion, making it the 20th largest crypto project.
Lessons from the Kelp DAO exploit
Hoskinson pointed to the Kelp DAO exploit in April 2026 as a cautionary tale. Attackers forged cross-chain messages to drain $292 million in unbacked rsETH, and the knock-on effects hit Aave with bad debt and TVL outflows. The incident, he argued, shows what happens when innovation outpaces resilience. Aave's smart contracts weren't compromised, but the protocol still suffered. For Hoskinson, it's a clear argument for Cardano's emphasis on clear governance and a structured software development system.
ADA's rough year and what's next
ADA is down 80% over the past 365 days. That's worse than Ethereum's 48% drop and Bitcoin's 44% decline. Hoskinson took responsibility for mistakes in Cardano's development but expressed confidence in strong growth over the next 12 to 24 months. He argued that lasting stability requires clear governance, a clear software development system, and sustainable roadmap ideas. The broader debate in crypto — fast-moving protocols versus those prioritizing long-term sustainability — is playing out in real time. Hoskinson's bet is that the market will eventually reward the latter. Whether that happens before the next bull run remains the open question.
