Headline: Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson Pushes Back After Ripple Community Links Him to “ETHgate” That Hurt XRP
A splash of drama on social media this week reignited old rivalries between Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson and the Ripple community, after an X user accused Hoskinson of playing a role in what’s been dubbed “ETHgate” — an alleged favoritism by the U.S. SEC toward Ethereum that, critics say, helped derail XRP’s growth.
The accusation came from Ripple community member “Wino,” who argued that the SEC’s public stance that Ethereum was not a security — while later suing Ripple over XRP — effectively stunted XRP’s momentum. At the time of the dispute, XRP and Ethereum were the two largest altcoins by market cap, and XRP’s price largely stagnated during the lengthy lawsuit, failing to capture significant gains even during the 2021 bull run. That slump has fueled speculation that the regulatory treatment of ETH and XRP came at XRP’s expense.
Hoskinson quickly rejected the claims. In his reply he noted that he was “pushed” out of Ethereum in June 2014 and has since been a frequent target of criticism from parts of the Ethereum community. He said it would be implausible for him to suddenly coordinate with those same actors years later to undermine XRP. Hoskinson also has a long record of outspoken criticism of Ethereum, including once predicting the network might not survive a decade — a background that makes the accusation feel especially charged.
Wino later conceded his allegation was based on hearsay and said he hoped the full story would surface in time. He also expressed support for the CLARITY Act, suggesting that clearer regulatory rules could spark parabolic rallies for both ADA (Cardano’s token) and XRP if passed.
The discussion dovetailed with recent legislative developments. Last week the Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the CLARITY Act to the full Senate. The bill aims to provide clearer market structure and regulatory classification for crypto assets, explicitly treating assets such as XRP and Cardano as commodities rather than securities. Pro-XRP attorney John Deaton had warned that failure to pass clear legislation could lead to a harsher regulatory environment — a “Gensler 2.0,” in his words.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse downplayed the bill’s immediate necessity for XRP, noting that U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres had already ruled that XRP is not a security in the Ripple case — a ruling Ripple sees as protective regardless of congressional action.
What started as a social-media accusation has reopened old debates about regulatory favoritism, project rivalries, and how legal and political developments shape crypto market winners and losers. With the CLARITY Act moving forward and memories of the SEC’s treatment of XRP still fresh, that conversation is likely to continue.
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