Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson Demands Apology From Influencer Over Midnight Network Bridge Criticism

TLDR

• Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson publicly demanded an apology from influencer ItsDave_ADA on April 1, 2026
• Dave criticized the Midnight Network’s one-way trustless bridge design, saying it pulls value from Cardano rather than adding it
• Hoskinson called Midnight “the largest project on Cardano” and warned Dave’s attitude could destroy the ecosystem
• The Cardano community is divided, with some backing Hoskinson and others defending Dave’s right to question the project
• Midnight launched its mainnet in late March 2026 with Google Cloud, Worldpay, and MoneyGram as early validators

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson publicly called out a well-known community influencer on April 1, 2026. The target was Dave, who goes by ItsDave_ADA on X, after Dave posted sharp criticism of the Midnight Network and its bridge design.

His main concern was technical. At launch, only a one-way trustless bridge exists — running from Cardano into Midnight. The return path, from Midnight back to Cardano, is not trustless and can reportedly be delayed, censored, or have fees imposed on users.

Hoskinson responded the same day on X under his handle IOHK_Charles. He described Midnight as “the largest project on Cardano, which will add billions of dollars in value to Cardano.” He compared Dave to a past community figure called Whale and said that kind of attitude could destroy Cardano. He then demanded a public apology.

Dave said he was confused about what he was supposed to apologize for. He pushed back, asking Hoskinson to explain exactly how billions would flow into Cardano through Midnight, arguing the bridge design does the opposite and pulls value out.

The Bridge Design at the Center of the Dispute

The bridge setup is the core of the argument. Dave says the asymmetric design — trustless in one direction only — reveals something about how the two chains are actually related. He stressed he was not anti-Midnight, but pro-Cardano, and had defended Hoskinson for years.

Community account CSWAP_Destroy defended Hoskinson, saying the Midnight-Cardano relationship is designed to be mutually beneficial. They also warned against repeating patterns that drive away important voices from the community.

One X user, NisargaCrypto, suggested Dave may have been paid to spread negativity. Dave denied this directly. SpentronSpence sided with Dave, saying the Cardano community has a recurring problem of shutting down independent critics.

Others disagreed with Dave. ZIMcoinADA said his view was “quite short-sighted” and that Midnight was already bringing new attention to Cardano. User sergiu_cazan told Dave he was “missing the forest for the trees.”

Community Reaction Splits Sharply

User _wdm33 said Dave had nothing to apologize for, arguing that questioning everything is the whole point of decentralized systems. User ada_ddy offered a middle view — Dave was right to question the bridge, but going too far by framing it as a betrayal.

peaceKaur asked Hoskinson to directly answer how Midnight’s success translates into value for ADA holders — calling it the real question underneath the dispute.

Hoskinson has personally invested around $200 million into Midnight. The network launched its mainnet in late March 2026 with Google Cloud, Worldpay, and MoneyGram among its first validators. No firm timeline has been given for a two-way trustless bridge.

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