Cardano Founder Urges Industry to Boycott Cointelegraph Ads, Here’s Why

Charles Hoskinson, Cardano (ADA) founder, has taken a swipe at Cointelegraph, the cryptocurrency news outlet, over what he termed ‘defamation at the highest level.’ In a post on X, Hoskinson accused Cointelegraph’s Editor-in-Chief Jon Rice of refusing to retract a story and apologize for its use.

Cardano Founder Disputes $600M ADA Voucher Theft Allegation

According to Hoskinson, the crypto news outlet alleged that Input Output Global (IOG) was compromised, which led to the theft of $600 million worth of ADA vouchers. The Cardano founder claims that the publication lacked merit and had no truth to it.

Hoskinson maintained that Cointelegraph did not follow standard journalistic principles and never contacted him or IOG for comments before publication. His main annoyance is that even after IOG has been “exonerated,” Cointelegraph has refused to issue a retraction.

The Cardano has further alleged that Cointelegraph is digging in to publish another article, which will twist the demand for a retraction as “pressure.”

However, Hoskinson insists it is not pressure, but rather what true journalism should be about.

Charles Hoskinson Accuses Cointelegraph of Ethical Failures

He accused Cointelegraph of not following the ethics of the profession and made a call to the broader crypto industry. Hoskinson has called for a boycott of Cointelegraph by industry players. He does not want crypto stakeholders to patronize Cointelegraph anymore in terms of ads.

The Cardano boss also urged the crypto players to stop giving Cointelegraph any form of legitimacy. He believes that this will force Cointelegraph to retract the story and possibly issue an apology.

Crypto Community Divided on Hoskinson’s Call to Action

Some members of the community believe Hoskinson’s goal is to prevent false narratives from taking root in the crypto space. 

One user even called out Jon Rice by sharing a screenshot of the Editor-in-Chief’s reappointment with a headline that read, “Rice Returns to Lead Cointelegraph’s Integrity-Driven Journalism Renaissance.”

The user’s remarks suggest sarcasm at the new turn of events, implying that there was no verification in the ADA theft allegation.

However, another user queried Hoskinson for not taking legal action if Cointelegraph was actually in the wrong. The user maintained that if there is really no substance to the publication, Hoskinson should seek legal redress rather than through words and allegations of “defamation.”