Founder Charles Hoskinson said he has more than $3 billion in unrealized losses during the current cryptocurrency market downturn, offering a rare look at his personal exposure during a period of sharp declines.
Speaking from Tokyo in a live broadcast, Hoskinson addressed a market shaken by forced liquidations and falling prices in an inspiring message. bitcoin fell to around $60,000 over the week, losing around 16% of its value, while the broader CoinDesk 20 index (CD20) fell 17%. fell 15.6% in the week.
Hoskinson said he shared the figure to counter claims that cryptocurrency founders are shielded from losses hitting retail investors. He told viewers that his financial situation has been hit harder than most people who follow the market.
“I’ve lost more money than anyone listening to this. Over $3 billion now. It would have been very easy to cash out, just walk away,” Hoskinson said.
“Do you honestly think I care if I lose everything? There’s a reason I’m not in Epstein’s files, there’s a reason I wasn’t included in FTX,” he added. “It’s not because no one likes me, it’s because my default answer is no. I don’t care if I lose money, I don’t care if it means I get put on the little kids’ table and I don’t get to go to the White House and all that other stuff.”
In his comments, Hoskinson emphasized building for the long-term growth of the ecosystem rather than focusing on short-term price movements.
The comparison framed the slowdown as part of a longer cycle and not as a breaking point. Hoskinson added that “every step forward on that difficult path” is progress, adding that he is “here for life, this is who I am and I will always be who I am.”
He also said he has no plans to leave his positions. Instead, he described settlement as a transition period in which financial systems adapt to new technologies.
For example, he pointed to Cardano-based projects like Starstream and Midnight, which he said are designed for applications focused on data integrity and privacy.
