Cardano's Charles Hoskinson reveals $3 billion unrealized loss in crypto rout

ADA$0.2709 founder Charles Hoskinson said he is sitting on more than $3 billion in unrealized losses during the current crypto market downturn, offering a rare look at his personal exposure during a period of sharp declines.

Speaking from Tokyo in a live broadcast, Hoskinson addressed a market rattled by forced liquidations and falling prices in an inspirational message. Bitcoin BTC$69,614.17 dropped to around $60,000 during the week, losing about 16% of its value, while the broader CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index fell 17%. ADA$0.2709 dropped by 15.6% in the week.

Hoskinson said he shared the figure to counter claims that crypto founders are insulated from losses that affect retail investors. He told viewers that his financial position has taken a larger hit than most people following the market.

“I’ve lost more money than anyone listening to this. Over $3 billion now. It would’ve been real easy to cash out, just walk away,” Hoskinson said.

“Do you think I honestly care if I lose it all? There’s a reason I’m not in the Epstein files, there’s a reason I didn’t get rolled up in FTX,” he added.” “It’s not because no one likes me, it’s because my default answer is no. I don’t care if I lose money, I don’t care if it means I get put in the little kids' table and I don’t get to go to the White House and all of these other things.”

In his remarks, Hoskinson emphasized building for the long-term growth of the ecosystem rather than focusing on short-term price movements.

The comparison framed the downturn as part of a longer cycle rather than a breaking point. Hoskinson added that “every foot forward on that difficult road” is progress, adding he’s “here for life, this is who I am and is always going to be who I am.”

He also said he has no plans to exit his positions. Instead, he described the selloff as a transition period as financial systems adjust to new technology.

For example, he pointed to Cardano-based projects such as Starstream and Midnight, which he said are designed for data-integrity and privacy-focused applications.