The cryptocurrency market is bleeding! Cardano founder: My assets have shrunk by $3 billion, but I still choose to stay

Hoskinson admits personal losses exceeding $3 billion but remains committed to the industry, emphasizing Cardano’s shift toward practicality, viewing 2026 as a key year for industry reset.

Refusing to Exit, Hoskinson Reveals $3 Billion Asset Shrinkage

Amidst the intense turbulence in the cryptocurrency market, Cardano ($ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson shared his views on the current market situation during a live broadcast. Facing investor questions about whether the founder can fully exit during the downturn, Hoskinson disclosed for the first time that his personal cryptocurrency holdings have already lost over $3 billion in paper value.

He straightforwardly stated that his losses might be larger than anyone listening to the live stream. Despite facing such substantial unrealized losses, Hoskinson clearly expressed that he has no plans to liquidate or exit, emphasizing that his involvement in the blockchain industry is driven not by money but by faith in technology and principles.

During the broadcast, Hoskinson addressed the community, saying he will weather the “red days” and “green days” with investors. He admitted that if his goal were solely profit, he could easily cash out and leave, but he chooses to stay and continue development. Additionally, he took the opportunity to clarify that he has always adhered to principles of integrity and has never been involved in scandals related to FTX or Epstein. Hoskinson believes 2026 will be a “reset” year for the crypto industry, shifting focus from past hype to real-world applications.

Image source: X/@IOHK_Charles Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson first reveals his personal crypto holdings have already shrunk by over $3 billion in paper value

Institutions Fall into Winter, Total Market Cap Evaporates Over $700 Billion

This downturn has not only impacted individual investors but also posed severe challenges for large institutions and treasury companies. Data shows that the global cryptocurrency market cap dropped from $2.97 trillion on January 1, 2026, to $2.25 trillion on February 6, a loss of over $720 billion in just five weeks, averaging daily losses of about $20 billion. Among major assets, Bitcoin ($BTC) briefly fell near $60,000, with a weekly decline of approximately 16%; Ethereum ($ETH) dropped below $2,000. Cardano’s native token $ADA performed even weaker, having fallen about 92% from its all-time high of $3.10 on September 2, 2021, and currently trading around $0.27.

Image source: CoinGecko Cardano’s native token $ADA is performing weaker, currently trading around $0.27

In terms of institutional losses, Bitmine’s situation is the most severe, with unrealized losses exceeding $7 billion, and asset value shrinking by over 45%. Strategy, the company holding 713,502 Bitcoins (i.e., MicroStrategy), purchased at an average price of $76,052, now faces over $5 billion in paper losses. Additionally, Japanese publicly listed company Metaplanet increased its Bitcoin holdings in Q4 2025 at an average price of $107,716, and is now recording unrealized losses of about $1 billion.

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Hoskinson pointed out that these figures demonstrate even industry leaders cannot escape market crashes, with regulatory pressure and political interference being the main factors driving retail investors away.

From Speculation to Practicality, Cardano Enters Commercialization Phase

Facing an increasingly harsh market environment, Hoskinson warned that the market could further deteriorate and even become “more red.” However, he believes these fluctuations do not affect the long-term value of blockchain as a global economic tool, and announced that Cardano is officially entering the commercialization stage.

He noted that the Cardano network has now achieved full decentralization, and governance upgrades are largely complete. Future focus will be on concrete technological infrastructure.

Hoskinson highlighted several key development progress, including Layer2 scaling solution Hydra, consensus upgrade Leios, and privacy-focused sidechain project Midnight. Additionally, the data integrity project StarStream is also considered a core component of the next phase of the ecosystem.

Hoskinson emphasized that the value of blockchain technology should be defined by utility and infrastructure, not just token prices or short-term market sentiment. He called on developers and investors to focus on building, because a rule-based system provided by blockchain can reduce reliance on centralized authorities in an era of declining institutional trust.

Regarding future prospects, Hoskinson reaffirmed his long-term commitment to the crypto industry and plans to work with other industry leaders such as Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko to promote cryptocurrency adoption. He believes that although the current bear market is painful, every step forward on this difficult path is genuine growth, and he will dedicate his life to this industry.