Charles Hoskinson, the creator of Cardano, has recently weighed in on the ongoing controversy involving Ripple and its digital asset, XRP, providing clarity and perspective on the matter.
The genesis of the discussion arose when Hoskinson was prompted to issue an apology to the Ripple team and the XRP community. Responding, he cited instances of his statements being misconstrued and enduring prolonged public scrutiny and harassment, including calls for his legal repercussions based on unsubstantiated allegations of corruption.
At the crux of the issue lies a conspiracy theory implicating the SEC in showing preferential treatment toward Ethereum over Ripple. Hoskinson has adamantly dismissed these allegations, labeling them as unfounded speculations lacking credible evidence.
He previously underscored Ethereum's relatively modest beginnings as an $18 million initial coin offering, suggesting that regulatory leniency during its nascent stages may have been influenced by undisclosed factors such as personal relationships and informal arrangements.
Why? They misrepresented my statements, publicly harassed me for years, and even advocated that I be thrown in prison for unspecified "corruption"
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) May 5, 2024
Despite acknowledging the regulatory disparities between Ethereum and Ripple, Hoskinson firmly rejected the notion of Ethereum orchestrating SEC actions against Ripple and XRP. He emphasized the distinct operational domains of two entities, asserting that they do not directly compete in the same smart contract space.
Worth noting that Hoskinson's perspective on the matter is informed not only by his role as the creator of Cardano but also by his previous involvement with Ethereum. In late 2013, Charles Hoskinson became one of the five original founders of the Ethereum team alongside Vitalik Buterin. Consequently, in 2014, Buterin and the Ethereum team made the decision to remove Hoskinson from his position within the organization.