Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana Labs, expressed his feelings of “shame” regarding the minimization of the influence of a recent Solana Foundation advertisement, labeling it as “demeaning and targeting a marginalized demographic. ”
Yakovenko articulated these sentiments in a social media message on March 19 and conveyed his appreciation to members of the Solana (SOL) ecosystem who promptly highlighted the issue.
He stated:
“I am thankful for the ecosystem developers and artists who candidly identified it for what it is, both openly and privately. You are the sole silver lining to this entire situation. ”
He further pledged to ensure that the Solana Foundation maintains its emphasis on its primary mission of decentralization and open-source software development, steering clear of cultural conflicts.
His remarks indicate an initiative to reestablish the foundation’s priorities and address community apprehensions.
Controversial advertisement incites backlash
The Solana Foundation encountered considerable reproach following the debut of a promotional video entitled “America is Back Time to Accelerate. ”
The advertisement, released on March 17, portrayed the United States as a man undergoing therapy, struggling to concentrate on technological advancements such as cryptocurrency and space exploration due to societal discourses surrounding pronouns and gender identity.
Nonetheless, the advertisement was broadly criticized for infusing political dialogue into the cryptocurrency sphere.
Andrew Thurman from the Jito Foundation, the organization behind the largest project by total value locked on Solana, underscored the necessity of neutrality in blockchain initiatives.
Following escalated criticism, the Solana Foundation retracted the video within nine hours of its unveiling. However, by that time, it had already amassed over one million views.
In the aftermath of the backlash, Solana Foundation Vice President of Technology Matt Sorg clarified that only a limited number of individuals were engaged in the ad’s creation. He addressed concerns raised by Cinneamhain Ventures partner Adam Cochran, who questioned how the advertisement could have successfully navigated multiple approval stages without any objections.
Cochran additionally asserted that transgender developers have significantly propelled advancements in open-source cryptography and security software, contending that the advertisement overlooked the industry’s legacy of merit-based contributions.
Sorg elucidated that the majority of the production process had been delegated to external teams and specified that the advertisement did not reflect the views of the Solana community.