Solana Foundation sparks backlash with controversial ad comparing pronouns to DeFi

The Solana Foundation has faced significant backlash after a controversial promotional video titled “America is Back—Time to Accelerate” sparked outrage within the crypto community.

On March 17, Solana’s official X account posted the now-deleted ad, which depicted the United States as a man in therapy struggling to focus on technological progress, including crypto and space travel, due to societal debates on pronouns and gender identity.

The ad quickly drew criticism for being politically charged and divisive. Many in the crypto space condemned it for undermining the industry’s values of neutrality and inclusivity.

Following the backlash, the Solana Foundation removed the video after nine hours, but not before it amassed over one million views.

‘Very few people’

In response to the controversy, Matt Sorg, Solana Foundation’s Vice President of Technology, clarified on March 18 that only a limited number of people within the Solana ecosystem had direct involvement with the ad production.

Sorg’s statement came in response to Adam Cochran, a partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, who questioned how the ad passed multiple stages of approval without objections.

Cochran argued that if few individuals were involved, someone should have raised concerns during the brainstorming, scriptwriting, filming, or post-production.

However, Sorg defended the foundation and pointed out that most production steps were outsourced to external teams. He also reiterated that the video did not reflect the broader views of the Solana ecosystem.

He said:

“Despite it being posted on the main channel, it’s not like it represents the ecosystem being excited about the message.”

In a separate X post, Sorg commented on the broader philosophical debate surrounding the controversy. He argued that creativity and human expression should not be constrained by rigid frameworks, stating:

“The beauty of humanity is not being constrained to natural randomness or binary robotic output. We are creative, we can beat entropy. Exploring ourselves and our possibilities is not anti-innovation.”

However, he admitted disappointment in being linked to the ad’s divisive messaging.

Community slams Solana

Despite this defense, prominent voices within the crypto community spoke out against the campaign.

According to them, the ad reignited debates about political messaging in the crypto industry, with critics arguing that it signaled a shift toward partisan narratives.

Caitlin Cook, a well-known community member, called the ad “embarrassing and cringe,” arguing that the foundation should focus on inspiring and shaping the narrative rather than fueling division.

Similarly, Andrew Thurman of the Jito Foundation criticized blockchain organizations for engaging in political discourse, urging neutrality.

Doublezero COO and former Solana Foundation member David McIntyre described the video as “horrendous.” He argued that celebrating America did not require addressing cultural conflicts and urged the foundation to focus on positive messaging about Solana’s impact.

Cochran delivered one of the strongest rebukes, highlighting the significant contributions of transgender developers to open-source cryptography, security, and intelligence software. He criticized the ad’s premise, pointing out that the industry has long been driven by a culture of meritocracy that values contributions over identity.

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