Hold onto your hats, crypto enthusiasts, because the Solana Foundation just hit the brakes on an ad that had the community buzzing—and not in a good way! It looks like the ad, which popped up on Solana's official X account to hype up the Solana Accelerate conference, stirred up quite the storm with its controversial nods to gender and pronouns.
Picture this: a man named “America” chats with his therapist about his dreams of innovation and crypto. But, plot twist, the therapist waves off his ambitions and suggests he should focus on inventing new genders and pronouns instead. Cue the dramatic music as America vows to dive into the world of on-chain development, innovation, and tech—leaving gender invention behind.
But wait, it gets juicier. Solana’s co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko quickly distanced himself from this eyebrow-raising campaign. He even threw a bit of shade, saying an earlier marketing attempt, the “Maren ad,” was way better. Although the original post disappeared faster than a magician’s rabbit, it had already been reposted by several users, keeping the conversation alive.
The crypto community was not shy with its critiques. Adam Cochran from Cinneamhain Ventures pointed out that it took Solana nine hours to yank the post. He claimed that the ad was initially celebrated but got pulled because it dented business, not because anyone had a change of heart.
Sean O'Connor from Blocknative called out the ad for being tone-deaf, especially after recent U.S. policy changes. Tyler Bench and Anneri van der Merwe chimed in too, branding the campaign as problematic and offensive, contradicting Solana's previous inclusive messaging.
Nicolas Pennie and David McIntyre added to the chorus, questioning the strategy of using social issues as a marketing tool. Some folks think the whole thing was just a ploy to grab attention through controversy. Reka from Avnu.Fi suggested that the effort was more about causing a stir than sparking creativity.
So, what’s your take on this wild ride? Was it a marketing misstep or a calculated move to get tongues wagging? One thing’s for sure: Solana’s ad campaign left a mark, and it’s got the crypto world talking!
