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## “White Chain”: Solana’s Anti-Woke Commercial Incites Public Disapproval
Following almost nine hours of intense disapproval, Solana retracted a commercial deriding pronoun debates in therapy meetings, igniting dispute over its message.
The Solana Foundation launched a commercial, which was quickly eliminated, that critics argue mocked gender identity matters, finding itself in a whirlwind of debate, whether deliberately or not. The commercial, ostensibly advertising the Solana Accelerate conference, presented a skit where “America” attends a therapy session but is told to “concentrate on pronouns” and “create new genders” instead of seeking technological development.
The commercial immediately sparked outrage in the digital currency community. Some saw it as an effort to align with right-wing cultural expression, while others viewed it as unnecessary political involvement.
Sean O’Connor, Head of Operations at Web3 company Blocknative, wrote on X: “This is incredibly insensitive. At a time when transgender people are being stripped of their passports and erased by governments… is this the commercial you put out?”
## Retracted After Nine Hours
The commercial was posted on March 17th and eliminated approximately nine hours later, gathering over a million views. Many key figures in the Solana ecosystem initially engaged with the post—through likes or reposts—later distanced themselves.
Adam Cochran, a partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, noted in an X post that support for the commercial vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. He wrote, “They took it down because it hurt their business, not because they thought it was wrong.” Xpeng Shares Decline After Disappointing Q4 Loss Reduction Announcement
Some early supporters of the commercial later changed their attitude. Tushar Jain, co-founder of Multicoin Capital, deleted his initial post calling it “bold and edgy,” later suggesting it should address “deeper cultural war issues” instead of “surface-level” topics like pronouns.
Initially, even the X account of the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection appeared to back the advertisement, responding with a rocket GIF, but later quietly removed the post. Trump Administration Considers Building Bitcoin Reserve, Exploring Further Acquisitions
**A Change in Principles**
The intense reaction was not only about the advertisement itself, but what it represented. As CoinDesk noted, just a few months prior, the Solana Foundation had presented itself as a proponent of diversity and inclusion. At a conference in Singapore, its code of conduct expressly forbade discrimination based on “gender identity and expression.” Now, some people think that with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Solana is modifying its messaging to conform to the new political environment.
Ceteris, Head of Research at Delphi Digital, wrote: “The issue with the Solana advertisement isn’t just the advertisement, but that since the election, they’ve changed from a non-political tech platform to one catering to the current political environment. When you alter your principles based on who’s in power, you forfeit all worth.”
Aneri Patel, Head of Product for Coinbase’s Base, echoed similar feelings, criticizing Solana’s approach. “This new Solana advertisement is totally off-brand,” Patel wrote in an X post. “Offensive, disgusting, and opportunistic. Base is for everyone. Solana also co-opted ‘for everyone’ last week. This advertisement demonstrates there’s a long way to go in truly embracing that ethos.”
**”It Does Not Symbolize the Ecosystem”**
Amid the debate, Matt Sorg, Technical Vice President at the Solana Foundation, attempted to clarify that the advertisement does not symbolize the entire ecosystem, writing in an X post: “Just because it’s posted on the main channel doesn’t mean the ecosystem is excited about the message.”
Sorg also stated that only a “very small number of people” were directly involved in the advertisement’s creation, and most of the work was contracted out.
Notwithstanding the debate, queries remain regarding how the commercial was even sanctioned initially.
Although numerous individuals are dissatisfied, a few advocate for it, asserting that the reaction is undue and the commercial is truly “exceptional promotion.”
Certain society participants promptly emphasized that Solana’s identification dilemmas are evolving into an ongoing motif. An X user, Heart, joked, “Solana is endeavoring intensely to be a Caucasian individuals chain, but the mean transaction worth causes you to perceive as though you’re in Bangalore.”
