Cardano's Hoskinson says roadmap is complete as ADA sits 94% below its peak
In brief
- Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said on a YouTube livestream that Cardano's roadmap is complete.
- Hoskinson sparred with a viewer who claimed he'd promised Cardano would overtake Bitcoin.
- Cardano is self-governing, Hoskinson said, and he has no power over the ecosystem.
- ADA sits 94% below its 2021 high of $3.09, per Decrypt data.
A heated livestream
The exchange got personal. One viewer, shevilkid1738, claimed Hoskinson had promised Cardano would overtake Bitcoin. Hoskinson said there was no evidence he'd ever said that, though he added that he believes Cardano is a better store of value than Bitcoin (his view, not a settled fact).
More than an hour later, the viewer posted a quote in which Hoskinson said he thought Cardano was probably going to become the biggest cryptocurrency in the world. Hoskinson highlighted the word "think" and said he'd taken Cardano as far as he could, describing a network that's decentralized and doesn't rely on him as founder.
The viewer called it "insane" for a founder to no longer have a responsibility to investors. Hoskinson replied that Cardano is self-governing, can choose its own leaders without his consent, and that he has no power over the ecosystem. He also claimed the network once reached four times the value of Honda and that millions of people have used it.
His read on the complaints? They're financial.
"The roadmap is complete. Everything I said is going to be built has been built." (Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano)
Five eras, all shipped
Cardano's roadmap was split into five eras: Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho and Voltaire. Byron launched the network in September 2017, Shelley added staking in July 2020, and Goguen brought smart contracts through the Alonzo hard fork in September 2021.
Basho (the scaling era) arrived with the Vasil upgrade in September 2022. The Chang hard fork kicked off Voltaire, the governance era, in September 2024. In January 2025, the Plomin hard fork gave ADA holders voting power over the chain's future, which Decrypt describes as the transition to full decentralized governance.
ADA's long slide
ADA hit an all-time high of $3.09 in 2021, per Decrypt. It fell to a low of $0.25 in 2023, climbed 384% to $1.21 by the end of 2024, and has since dropped 86% to $0.17.
That's the backdrop to Saturday's stream. Hoskinson says the job he set out to do is finished, and it's clear the investors in his chat don't see it the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What were the five eras of Cardano's roadmap?
Cardano's roadmap was split into Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho and Voltaire. Byron launched the network in September 2017, Shelley added staking in July 2020, Goguen brought smart contracts in September 2021, Basho arrived via the Vasil upgrade in September 2022, and Voltaire began with the Chang hard fork in September 2024.
Why does Hoskinson say he has no power over Cardano?
Hoskinson said Cardano is self-governing and can choose its own leaders without his consent. The January 2025 Plomin hard fork gave ADA holders voting power over the blockchain's future, which Decrypt describes as the transition to full decentralized governance.
