I just realized one thing: Charles Hoskinson is probably one of the most misunderstood names in crypto. People often see him as a controversial figure on social media, but in reality, Charles Hoskinson is a truly sharp mind that has reshaped the way we think about blockchain.

The story begins in the early days of Ethereum. Charles Hoskinson was the project’s first CEO, and his vision was no different from Vitalik’s—creating a platform for decentralized applications. But then governance conflicts arose. While Charles supported a profit-driven model to raise funds faster, others wanted a non-profit path. In 2014, he left, and crypto history changed.

Instead of feeling sad, Charles Hoskinson decided to build his own. In 2015, he co-founded IOHK with Jeremy Wood, and that’s how Cardano came into being. No fuss, no flashy pull from marketing—Cardano is a blockchain built on a foundation of rigorous academic research. Every component is evaluated by scholars, and every decision has a technical basis.

Although there are criticisms that Cardano is a “zombie chain,” by the end of 2024 there were more than 1,000 active projects on this blockchain. Its PoS system consumes only a fraction of the energy that Bitcoin needs, which is really important in today’s context of concerns about energy waste.

Charles Hoskinson is always a controversial figure. He isn’t afraid to criticize anyone, from journalists to competitors, even his own critics. Straightforward? Yes. Professional? Never. But you can’t say he’s boring. In fact, Charles Hoskinson once asked the community on Twitter whether he was “cancer” for Cardano, and 51.6% said “yes.” Yet he keeps going anyway.

Recently, Charles Hoskinson has expanded into politics. He has publicly supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president of the Mỹ, criticized the Biden administration for repressive crypto policies, and even proposed a “Tuyên ngôn quyền” for crypto users. Last November, he announced “Chiến dịch Cơ bản” to identify weaknesses in the U.S. crypto market. He also met with Argentine President Javier Milei to discuss integrating blockchain into government systems.

No matter whether Cardano succeeds or not, one thing is clear: Charles Hoskinson never stops pursuing his vision. Misunderstood, criticized, loved, or hated—he keeps building. And that’s what makes him a notable figure in crypto history.