The team behind Solana has taken down an advertisement following criticism over its controversial gender identity messaging.
Reaction to Solana's Advertisement
The Solana advertisement depicted 'America' as a person in therapy, considering innovations like cryptocurrency. The therapist suggested engaging in more productive activities such as creating a new gender, a move interpreted as a critique of modern political agendas, resulting in public backlash.
Official and Public Response
After the video, viewed over 1.2 million times, was removed, figures like Cinneamhain Ventures partner Adam Cochran expressed that the ad was retracted due to business harm rather than ethical considerations. Blocknative COO Sean O’Connor called the ad 'tone-deaf', and others such as Helius co-founder Nicholas Pennie also voiced their disagreement.
Implications and Conclusions
Apart from the negative reaction, early supporters like Multicoin Capital co-founder Tushar Jain retracted their endorsements. Jain suggested that the ad could have been more effective by addressing deeper cultural issues rather than superficial ones like pronouns.
The Solana advertisement sparked a broader discussion on political and social issues, illustrating the importance of careful and considered communication in public forums.
