Charles Hoskinson, co-founder of Cardano, has outlined plans to shift the majority of Cardano's community engagement from the social platform X to Discord, citing growing frustration with hostility and misinformation. According to Hoskinson, he recently spoke with EMURGO CEO Phillip Pon about creating a dedicated Discord hub, while continuing to use X for livestreams to his audience of over one million followers.
Why the Move: Platform Toxicity and False Narratives
Hoskinson described the Discord environment as a space for moderated discussions and collaboration, aiming to leave behind what he called drama, false narratives, and persistent hostility dominating X. The decision follows months of criticism from Hoskinson regarding discussions around Cardano on X.
AMA Questions Exclusive to Discord
As part of the transition, future Ask Me Anything sessions will source questions exclusively from Cardano and Midnight Discord communities. Midnight is a privacy-focused blockchain project developed by IOG. Hoskinson clarified that livestreams will still be broadcast on X due to its reach, and rejected claims that livestreaming contradicts his plans to reduce platform engagement.
Earlier Criticism of X Interaction Environment
During an April livestream titled "Remember Kids, X Isn't Reality," Hoskinson discussed challenges tied to online engagement and his ongoing AI project called Project Nyx. He noted that platform rules complicate these efforts because AI-managed accounts require bot labeling, which can affect visibility.
Community Analysis: Over a Third of Replies Contain Hostility
Cardano community member Christian Taylor analyzed about 130 replies to a post addressing anti-Hoskinson threads. Using Grok, he found roughly one-third of responses contained hostile language, abuse, or profanity. The analysis also identified repeated language patterns and activity from lightly anonymous accounts.
Split Reactions: X Still Key for Crypto Visibility
Not everyone backs the proposal. Some argue X remains the primary venue for crypto discussions and industry visibility. Patrick Tobler said most crypto and tech conversations still happen on X. Others warned that moving to Discord could reduce exposure to broader industry debates and criticism.
Midnight Discord Grows 345% in Six Months
Hoskinson pointed to the growth of the Midnight Discord community as evidence of increasing engagement. The server expanded from 11,000 members to 49,000 members over the past six months, a 345% increase.