Charles Hoskinson Declares: Cardano Demands Bold Leadership to Dominate Bitcoin DeFi in 2025

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson just threw down the gauntlet—calling for aggressive leadership to seize Bitcoin's DeFi crown. Here's why 2025 could be ADA's make-or-break year.

The DeFi Power Play

Hoskinson's latest provocation frames Cardano as Bitcoin's natural DeFi successor—if it can overcome its "governance gap." The comments come as Bitcoin DeFi TVL flirts with $10B while Cardano's ecosystem struggles to crack top-5 chains by adoption.

Proof-of-Stake vs. Proof-of-Hype

With ADA's price still 60% below its 2021 peak, critics argue Cardano needs less visionary rhetoric and more developer traction. "Another ‘epoch’ of promises won’t cut it," tweeted one hedge fund analyst—between sips of a $28 artisanal latte.

The Closing Bell

One thing's clear: In the high-stakes poker game of layer-1 supremacy, Hoskinson just went all-in on Cardano's institutional credibility. Whether that hand beats Bitcoin's decade-long stack remains to be seen.

TLDR

• Charles Hoskinson stated that Cardano needs a strong executive voice to lead its Bitcoin DeFi expansion.
• Cardano is technically prepared for growth with platforms like Minswap, USDM, and Lace Wallet gaining traction.
• The network plans to convert part of its treasury into Bitcoin or stablecoins using a TWAP strategy.
• Governance reforms and the possible creation of a sovereign wealth fund will be discussed at the upcoming Rare Evo event.
• Hoskinson expressed frustration over leadership gaps and misinformation despite Cardano’s steady technological progress.

Cardano is positioning itself to lead the Bitcoin DeFi frontier, but leadership gaps could stall critical momentum. Charles Hoskinson emphasized that without a centralized executive framework, Cardano’s innovations may not receive the attention they deserve. Despite strong technical progress, Cardano must now focus on governance reform to fully leverage its strategic advantages in decentralized finance.

Cardano Strengthens DeFi With Bitcoin Integration

Cardano’s decentralized applications have matured, with Minswap emerging as the network’s most active decentralized exchange by volume and user activity. Tools such as Lace Wallet and the USDM stablecoin are gaining user adoption, supporting the broader ecosystem’s growth. These platforms are technically capable of integrating Bitcoin’s $2 trillion liquidity through scalable and interoperable protocols.

Leios and Hydra remain critical components of Cardano’s technical stack, which is designed to increase throughput and scalability for DeFi platforms. These upgrades are essential as Cardano plans to access deeper liquidity by enabling cross-chain transactions with Bitcoin-based assets. Midnight, Cardano’s privacy layer, is also being positioned to support confidential transactions within decentralized finance.

Strategic plans are underway to convert 5–10% of Cardano’s treasury into bitcoin or stablecoins using a TWAP method. This approach mirrors MicroStrategy’s accumulation strategy and could help fund ADA buybacks and long-term ecosystem incentives. As demand increases, the treasury will play a larger role in price stabilization and liquidity growth.

Hoskinson Pushes for Stronger Cardano Governance

Hoskinson acknowledged that cardano lacks a centralized voice to represent its growing ecosystem and technological output. Input Output Global, the founding development company, continues to coordinate key efforts but faces limits without formal executive authority. Critics often overlook Cardano’s progress, partly due to the absence of a structured leadership narrative.

We got Leios, Hydra, Midnight, and Bitcoin DeFi alongside governance, security and decentralization. Bitcoin DeFi is indeed the largest opportunity, but the single biggest issue is that we are missing a competent Foundation and executive authority to push these narratives into… https://t.co/t3j4ULTTe8

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) June 29, 2025

Cardano has delivered consistent results in decentralization, network security, and scalability while maintaining a strong focus on protocol integrity. However, without coordinated messaging and executive governance, public recognition of these milestones remains limited. Hoskinson expressed concern over misinformation, citing personal attacks and false accusations as a growing obstacle.

The upcoming Rare Evo event could signal major changes in Cardano’s governance structure. Proposed updates include a constitutional framework, community voting enhancements, and the creation of a sovereign wealth fund. These measures aim to align Cardano’s governance with its advanced infrastructure and future goals.

Cardano’s native token ADA is down 35% in 2025 but remains up 56% compared to the previous year. Circulating supply has reached 35.36 billion ADA, with a capped total of 45 billion. Analysts continue watching how treasury strategies and Bitcoin DeFi adoption will affect token demand.