Charles Hoskinson Breaks Silence: "When Leios?" – Cardano Founder Addresses Speculation Amid Midnight & Health Clinic Ventures

• Why Is the Cardano Community Demanding Leios Updates?
• How Did Hoskinson Respond to the Backlash?
• What Role Do Hydra and Midnight Play in Cardano’s Ecosystem?
• How Does Cardano’s Development Philosophy Impact Leios?
• What’s Next for Cardano’s Roadmap?
• FAQs: Your Leios Questions Answered

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has publicly refuted claims that the Leios scalability upgrade was abandoned due to his involvement with Midnight blockchain and a health clinic. Despite community concerns, Hoskinson confirmed ongoing development, emphasizing parallel teams working on Leios (targeting 1,500 TPS), Hydra (Layer 2), and Midnight (privacy). ADA’s price remains stable at $0.5844 amid mixed market sentiment.

Why Is the Cardano Community Demanding Leios Updates?

Rumors swirled in July 2025 that Leios—Cardano’s LAYER 1 speed upgrade promising 1,500 transactions per second—was stalled. Critics pointed to Hoskinson’s divided attention: Midnight’s 2022 launch, his health clinic venture, and perceived silence on Leios progress. Blockchain forums buzzed with comparisons to Solana’s 7,000 TPS, while Reddit threads dissected GitHub commits for clues. The BTCC team notes that Cardano’s Extended UTXO model, designed for parallel processing, theoretically supports Leios’ goals. However, without clear timelines, some investors grew restless. TradingView charts showed ADA’s 18% drop in trading volume coinciding with these debates—a correlation that sparked memes about "Leios Limbo."

How Did Hoskinson Respond to the Backlash?

On July 6, 2025, Hoskinson fired back on X: "Abandoning Leios? That’s like saying I’d forget to feed my firstborn because I had a second kid." His post included a screenshot (below) of developer meetings and referenced public research papers on parallel computation. He dismissed the "either-or narrative," joking that "building a hospital doesn’t mean I’ve quit coding." The BTCC exchange observed ADA prices bouncing 1.55% post-announcement, though skeptics noted this barely offset the week’s losses. Hoskinson’s track record—like rejecting VC funding in 2023 to prioritize decentralization—lent credibility, but the crypto crowd’s patience wore thin. "We’re not a ‘hype chain,’" he retorted, "but maybe I should start tweeting ‘BUY’ in all caps like some folks."

What Role Do Hydra and Midnight Play in Cardano’s Ecosystem?

Leios isn’t operating in a vacuum. Hydra, Cardano’s Layer 2 solution, already handles microtransactions for gaming dApps, while Midnight—a zero-knowledge proof chain—caters to enterprises needing privacy. Think of it as a three-legged stool: Leios boosts base-layer throughput, Hydra scales granular transactions, and Midnight attracts regulated industries. Data from CoinGlass shows ADA’s open interest held steady at $20.68B during the controversy, suggesting institutional confidence in this trifecta. "It’s not Ethereum’s ‘one-chain-fits-all’ approach," remarked a BTCC analyst. "Cardano’s modular design may age better—if they can stitch it together."

How Does Cardano’s Development Philosophy Impact Leios?

Hoskinson’s "peer-reviewed first, hype later" MANTRA explains Leios’ deliberate pace. Unlike Solana’s "move fast and break things" ethos, Cardano’s 2024 research on Extended UTXO required academic validation before implementation. This methodical approach frustrated traders during bull markets but prevented disasters like network outages. The irony? Leios’ parallel processing borrows concepts from Solana’s playbook—just with formal verification. "We’re baking a soufflé, not microwaving a burrito," Hoskinson quipped. ADA’s 345M daily volume (down 18%) hints that some investors prefer fast food.

What’s Next for Cardano’s Roadmap?

With Leios in active development, Hydra scaling, and Midnight onboarding partners, Cardano’s 2025-26 pipeline looks crowded. The network’s focus on compliance (see its partnership with Dubai’s DIFC) contrasts with rivals chasing DeFi yields. Technical analysts highlight ADA’s consolidation NEAR $0.58 as a potential accumulation zone, though the 200-day MA resistance looms. "This isn’t just about TPS," notes a TradingView contributor. "It’s about proving that academic blockchain can compete with meme coins." For now, the community watches GitHub more than price charts.

FAQs: Your Leios Questions Answered

Is Leios being delayed by Midnight?

No. Hoskinson confirmed separate teams work on each project. Midnight launched in 2022, while Leios entered active development in early 2025.

How fast will Leios make Cardano?

Initial tests suggest 1,500 TPS—quadrupling current speeds but still below Solana. However, combined with Hydra, real-world throughput could be higher.

Why does Hoskinson run a health clinic?

Personal passion project. He’s stated it occupies minimal time thanks to professional management.

Where can I trade ADA during this news cycle?

Major exchanges like BTCC, Binance, and Kraken list ADA. Volatility may present swing opportunities (not financial advice).

Does Cardano’s approach sacrifice speed for security?

Partly. Its peer-review process slows deployments but aims to prevent exploits common in faster chains.