Solana co-founder apologizes for controversial ad targeting marginalized groups

Solana Labs co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said he is “ashamed” about downplaying the impact of a recent Solana Foundation advertisement, calling it “mean and punching down on a marginalized group.”

Yakovenko made the statement in a social media post on March 19 and expressed gratitude to those in the Solana (SOL) ecosystem who called it out immediately.

He said:

“I am grateful for the ecosystem devs and artists that immediately called it what it is both publicly and privately. You are the only silver lining to this whole mess.”

He further committed to ensuring that the Solana Foundation remains focused on its core mission of decentralization and open-source software development rather than engaging in cultural debates. 

His response signals an effort to realign the foundation’s priorities and address community concerns.

Controversial ad sparks backlash

The Solana Foundation faced significant criticism following the release of a promotional video titled “America is Back — Time to Accelerate.”

The ad, posted on March 17, depicted the US as a man in therapy who struggles to focus on technological advancements like crypto and space travel due to societal discussions on pronouns and gender identity.

However, the ad was widely condemned for injecting political discourse into the crypto space.

Andrew Thurman of the Jito Foundation, the entity behind the largest project by total value locked on Solana, emphasized the importance of neutrality in blockchain projects.

After facing mounting criticism, the Solana Foundation deleted the video within nine hours of its release. However, by that time, it had already garnered over one million views.

Following the backlash, Solana Foundation Vice President of Technology Matt Sorg clarified that only a few individuals were involved in the ad’s production. He responded to concerns from Cinneamhain Ventures partner Adam Cochran, who questioned how the ad could have passed multiple stages of approval without objections.

Cochran further noted that transgender developers have significantly advanced open-source cryptography and security software, arguing that the ad failed to recognize the industry’s history of meritocratic contributions.

Sorg explained that most of the production process had been outsourced to external teams and clarified that the ad did not represent the Solana community.

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