Cardano Founder Addresses ADA Dump Rumors, Is He Behind The 80% Price Crash?

[Ben Graham]

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has stepped forward to address swirling rumors that he dumped his ADA holdings, sparking concerns about his potential role in the altcoin’s dramatic 80% price crash. Amid speculation and social media chatter, Hoskinson firmly denies the claims, insisting he did not personally contribute to the decline by offloading his assets. 

Cardano Founder Denies Claims Of Selling ADA 

Despite the festive holiday season, Hoskinson was bombarded with accusations of contributing to ADA’s 80% price crash over the past four years. Initially, the Cardano founder took to X on December 25 to share an optimistic message for 2026, encouraging holders and community members not to lose hope. 

He emphasized that despite the challenges of the past years, there is much to look forward to in 2026. He extended holiday greetings and expressed appreciation for the Cardano community, including members like @injective_pie, who has been vocal about ADA’s price performance and its blockchain’s progress over the years.  

While many responded positively to Hoskinson’s messages and holiday greetings, @injective_pie confronted him directly, accusing him of dumping ADA. The community member questioned the Cardano founder about selling his ADA at $3 and not buying back at lower levels around $0.3, suggesting that such actions could undermine trust in the crypto project. 

Hoskinson swiftly dismissed these allegations, insisting that he did not dump his ADA and that false narratives do not change reality. The member’s response highlighted the tension between the Cardano founder and some skeptical segments of the community. It also underscored the ongoing dissatisfaction with the current price of ADA.  

Notably, frustration among ADA investors has been growing over the years, as the cryptocurrency has failed to regain its all-time highs. Since its 2021 peak, the Cardano price has steadily declined, most recently dropping toward $0.35 after crashing by over 3% this week. Year-to-date, the altcoin has fallen by more than 50%, underscoring the prolonged challenges facing the network despite its strong community support. 

Cardano’s underperformance stands in contrast to other major cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, which reached new ATHs this year. Even with its surging daily trading volume of more than 96%, ADA has yet to show any significant upward momentum, declining even more as the broader market navigates ongoing bearish pressures. 

ADA Price Weakens Further As Open Interest Drops

Amidst sluggish price action, data from Coinglass shows that ADA Futures Open Interest (OI) has declined from $1.72 billion in October 2025 to $651 million as of December 26. This massive change represents a steep decline of more than 62% in less than three months.  

With key fundamentals deteriorating and market sentiment weakening, additional pressure has been placed on ADA’s price. On-chain data also shows that Cardano’s Fear & Greed Index stands at 37, firmly placed in the fear zone, as the price continues to trend lower.