Cardano Gets Snubbed by U.S. Blockchain Data Program—Hoskinson Drops Bombshell Explanation

Washington's latest blockchain initiative just sidelined one of crypto's biggest players—and the founder isn't staying quiet.

Behind the Exclusion

Charles Hoskinson pulled back the curtain on Cardano's absence from the federal data program, revealing regulatory hurdles and legacy preferences that favor established chains over innovation. The selection criteria apparently prioritized immediate interoperability over long-term scalability—a classic government move that values convenience over vision.

Industry Reactions Roll In

Cardano's community erupted over the snub, calling it another example of bureaucratic short-sightedness. Meanwhile, the chosen protocols—all familiar names with deeper Washington ties—get another taxpayer-funded boost. Because nothing says 'decentralized future' like playing favorites with old guard technology.

Another day, another reminder that when governments 'embrace' blockchain, they're really just building new walls with different bricks.

Cardano’s absence from the U.S. government’s ambitious plan to publish official economic data on public blockchains has left many in the crypto community curious.

Despite its strong market presence, Cardano was excluded. Its founder, Charles Hoskinson, recently addressed this in his latest AMA session.

Why Was Cardano Left Out of the U.S. Data Project

Hoskinson explained why the blockchain did not make it. He shared that Chainlink, the oracle provider handling the integration, quoted “an absurd number” to add cardano to the initiative. As a result, the network was left out.

“They gave us an absurd number for integration. We’ll handle it, we’ll figure it out..Sergey is an extremely smart man, he kind of sees the future and knows he’s sitting on a golden egg, he knows his worth,” he said, referring to chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov.

@CARDANO FOUNDER @IOHK_CHARLES STATES THAT @CHAINLINK "GAVE THEM AN ABSURD NUMBER (PRICE) FOR INTEGRATION" & THAT @SERGEYNAZAROV "IS AN EXTREMELY SMART MAN THAT SEES THE FUTURE AND KNOWS HE'S SITTING ON A GOLDEN EGG"$ADA IS WORKING ON INTEGRATING $LINK BUT IT TAKES TIME pic.twitter.com/sDP7xWWUs9

Community Reactions and Criticism

Cardano’s exclusion sparked criticism from some community members, who argued that the blockchain has missed several major opportunities, including earlier collaborations with Chainlink.

Despite Cardano maintaining a five-year record of zero downtime, some critics say the network still lags behind competitors in terms of utility and adoption.

Hoskinson Eyes Key Partnerships 

Hoskinson also hinted at partnerships with AAVE and USD1 stablecoin, alongside Chainlink. USD1, a dollar-pegged stablecoin, already runs on Ethereum, BNB, and Tron. Hoskinson said talks are underway to bring it to Cardano soon. 

“I’d like USD-1, I’d like Aave, I’d like Chainlink. There’s a bundle there, and we’re working our way through what that means and how to do it.”

These collaborations could expand Cardano’s DeFi offerings and help the network compete more effectively in the evolving market.

Chainlink’s Growing Role in Blockchain & More!

Chainlink has recently been in the spotlight for expanding its institutional reach, including a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce to put economic data on-chain.

The LINK token surged more than 5% after the network announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce to bring official economic data on blockchain, a first-of-its-kind initiative. The initiative spans ten blockchain networks, such as Ethereum, Avalanche, and Optimism.