Cardano Founder Urges Industry to ‘Grow Up’ as He Eyes Billion

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has issued a strong message to the blockchain community. He called on the Cardano ecosystem to mature or risk falling behind its competitors. Hoskinson stressed the need to solve the project’s stablecoin shortage as the first step toward scaling for a billion users.

Hoskinson Calls for Urgent Action on Cardano Stablecoins

Charles Hoskinson, Cardano, has to solve its liquidity problem with stablecoins. He said that there are other blockchains that are expanding fast because of high liquidity and investor backing. Instead, Cardano does not hold much stablecoin (only 33 million) and cannot produce growth in decentralized finance (DeFi).

It's Monday, June 16th, 2025. While some of you babble on about feelings, ego, narcissism, and whatever else makes you feel psychological safety, others are coding, investing, partnering, and trading.

We aren't in a static game with a guaranteed seat at the table. We are in an…

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) June 16, 2025

According to DeFiLlama, Cardano’s stablecoin-to-DeFi TVL ratio is 9.65%. This is much lower compared to Ethereum’s 195% and Solana’s 125%. Hoskinson argued that this gap makes it hard for Cardano to compete with other ecosystems.

“We aren’t in a static game with a guaranteed seat at the table,” he said on X. “We are in an ocean of sharks trying to eat us every day.”

Hoskinson warned that without stablecoin support, developers and decentralized applications may migrate to rival chains.

Proposal to Convert ADA into USDM Stablecoin Sparks Debate

To solve the issue, Hoskinson proposed converting $100 million worth of ADA into Cardano-native stablecoin USDM. This, he said, would ensure liquidity in the network and place it in a better position in the DeFi.

This concept drew criticism from several Cardano users. They also expressed fears that the amount of ADA being sold was huge, and the move could drive the price of the online token down. They said that the timing does not augur well due to the prevailing conditions in the market.

Hoskinson responded by suggesting over-the-counter (OTC) trades. These would be spread over one week to avoid major price swings. He emphasized the urgency of the matter, calling it a “growing pain” that must be faced.

“Growing up is hard, but that’s where we are as an ecosystem,” he said. “It’s tough love, but I’d be doing you all a disservice if I didn’t say it.”

ADA Market Liquidity and Long-Term Vision

Cardano’s market liquidity data supports Hoskinson’s plan. CoinMarketCap shows ADA trading volume remains high, suggesting that $100 million in ADA could be moved without massive price drops. However, this depends on trading methods and timing.

Hoskinson’s vision is to prepare Cardano for large-scale adoption. He said the community must focus on infrastructure growth. Without immediate action, Cardano may fall behind chains supported by venture capital and mass marketing.

He is of the opinion that native stablecoins will be used to unlock more DeFi activity. This would assist dApp engineers, raise TVL and enhance network members.

XRP Integration and Broader Ecosystem Expansion

Besides the proposal on the stablecoin, Hoskinson also stated that Cardano is in the process of incorporating XRP. He said that a full XRP package is in development. No launch date has been announced.

This integration could open Cardano to new users and use cases. XRP is one of the top cryptocurrencies by market cap and has an active user base.

Such expansion steps may support Cardano’s long-term goal of onboarding one billion users. Hoskinson stressed that changes are necessary to build a competitive blockchain. “We have to decide if we want to win—if we’re serious about having a billion users,” he said.