Charles Hoskinson Mocks Crypto Influencer List as Vitalik Buterin Fails to Make the Cut
Charles Hoskinson is optimistic that Cardano upgrades will prove the haters wrong. Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images. Sportsfile Collection.
- Charles Hoskinson has popped off again on X, formerly known as Twitter.
- His latest comments are about CoinDesk’s Most Influential List.
- With such tough competition, Hoskinson did not make the 2022 or 2023 version.
Charles Hoskinson has taken an opportunity to laugh at a well-known crypto industry Most Influential list. The Cardano founder made a comical reference to the correlation between being influential in the crypto industry and ending up behind bars.
Unfortunately for the Cardano founder, Hoskinson was not featured on the 2023 edition of the list, with Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, also failing to make the cut. Although, Hoskinson’s comments were made before the latest (2023) version of the list was published.
18% Chance Of A Prison Sentence
In a post on X , Hoskinson remarked: “Fast Fact: appearing on Coindesk’s Most Influential list carries an 18 percent chance of a prison sentence.” The blockchain veteran was referencing a preview post by the digital magazine which referenced its top entrants over the years.
CoinDesk, a leading news source in the crypto world, has been compiling its Most Influential List annually since 2014. This list reflects those who have made a significant impact on the crypto, blockchain, and Web3 spaces over the year. The 2022 edition of the list, like its predecessors, includes a diverse array of individuals – from innovators and thought leaders to controversial figures.
Ethereum’s founder, Vitalik Buterin, leads with four appearances. Following closely are Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase, and the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, both making it three times. Notably, Andre Conje, Andreas Antonopoulos, Brian Armstrong, CZ Zhao, Cynthia Lummis, Do Kwon, Gary Gensler, Gavin Andresen, Jack Dorsey, Jeremy Allaire, Jerome Powell, Pieter Wuille, and Sam Bankman-Fried have each appeared twice
On the list are convicted felons Sam Bankman-Fried, whose FTX exchange collapsed in spectacular fashion last year, and Do Kwon, whose TerraUSD stablecoin implosion kicked-off 2022’s bear market. Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is currently looking at potential prison time after admitting serious wrongdoing to the U.S. Department of Justice for his time at the top of Binance.
This year the list includes Caroline Ellison (31) whose testimony helped put FTX founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, behind bars, and Larry Fink (13), the CEO of BlackRock, whose application for a spot Bitcoin ETF helped kick off a new wave of institutional interest in the cryptocurrency. Top of the list this year was Casey Rodarmar, the creator of Bitcoin Ordinals.
The CoinDesk list acknowledges the influence of its listed individuals without necessarily endorsing their actions. As it noted in its 2022 edition, “We make no claim that this is a list of the most admirable or admired.”
Lately, Hoskinson Has Been More Vocal
Hoskinson’s latest remarks follow weeks of industry insights that have garnered significant attention. Last week, he criticized the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its inconsistent treatment of cryptocurrencies. He pointed to Bitcoin’s preferential status as one of the few cryptocurrencies not labeled a security.
However, he faced backlash for allegedly supporting the SEC’s decisions when they benefited Cardano’s ADA, but not similarly defending XRP. Hoskinson refuted conspiracy theories involving Ethereum (so-called #EthGate) and demanded evidence for accusations of bribery, which have plagued Ethereum’s non-designation as a security.
Then, a few days later, Hoskinson developed his remarks on Bitcoin in a further AMA video.
