Solana Faces Criticism for Controversial Ad

Crypto News

Solana Faces Criticism for Controversial Ad, Removes It from X

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: March 20, 2025

Key Takeaways

Solana removed an ad after criticism that it used political messaging about gender identity to promote its Accelerate conference;
The ad featured a man symbolizing "America" rejecting identity politics, which led to backlash and accusations of divisive marketing;
Before its removal, the ad gained over 1.2 million views, but Solana has not publicly explained why it was deleted.

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Solana Faces Criticism for Controversial Ad, Removes It from X

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Solana SOL $139.05 recently removed an advertisement from its X account after facing backlash over its portrayal of gender identity.

The video, posted on March 17 with the tagline "America is back. Time to Accelerate", was meant to promote the Solana Accelerate conference.

The ad featured a man, introduced as "America", speaking with a therapist about his thoughts on innovation and crypto. The therapist suggested he focus on "something more productive, like coming up with a new gender" or "focusing on pronouns".

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As the exchange continued, the man became frustrated, eventually launching into a speech over dramatic patriotic music. He declared his desire to "build on-chain and reclaim my place as the beacon of innovation", emphasizing that he wanted to "invent technologies, not genders".

Adam Cochran, a partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, suggested the company’s decision to remove the ad was motivated by business concerns rather than any recognition of wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Pennie, co-founder of Helius, criticized what he saw as performative messaging, stating that "virtue signaling will always be cringe regardless of political ideology".

Before the ad was taken down, it racked up over 1.2 million views, generating more than 1,300 comments and 1,400 reposts. However, Solana has not publicly explained its reasoning for removing the video.

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