Solana Removes Controversial Ads – Impact of Crypto Community Backlash

On March 17, 2025, the team behind the Solana blockchain network released an advertisement titled “America is Back—Time to Accelerate” on their official X account.

The two-and-a-half-minute-long advertisement aimed to promote the Solana Accelerate Conference, scheduled to take place in New York in May.

However, the ad’s content sparked controversy and sharp criticism from the crypto community, who deemed its political message insensitive to gender identity issues.

Content of the Advertisemen

Based on the information we quoted from the Coinvestasi media, in the video, a man symbolizing “America” is depicted attending a therapy session. He expresses his desire to return to innovation, including in the crypto sector.

The therapist responds sarcastically, suggesting that the man do “something more productive, like creating a new gender,” and focus more on “pronouns” rather than innovation.

The conversation continues until the man bursts into emotion, accompanied by patriotic music, declaring his intention to “build on-chain and reclaim his place as a beacon of innovation” and “create technology, not gender.”

Reactions and Criticism from the Crypto Community

Before being deleted, the video was viewed over 1.2 million times, with 1,300 comments and 1,400 reposts, most of which criticized Solana’s approach of leveraging a sensitive social issue for marketing.

Adam Cochran, a partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, mocked the ad as a strange and irrelevant move. He wrote on X, “Imagine thinking this was a good ad. The real mental virus infecting this country is the weird Silicon Valley bubble, where people feel oppressed and think this is cool or edgy.”

Meanwhile, Sean O’Connor, COO of Blocknative, harshly criticized Solana’s promotional strategy. He wrote, “This is completely insensitive. While trans people are getting their passports denied and erased by the government… this is the ad you release?”

David McIntyre, COO of DoubleZero and former director of the Solana Foundation, called the ad “horrible” and questioned why Solana did not opt for a more positive message instead of exploiting a divisive social issue.

He added, “If you want to celebrate America, why not craft a positive message instead of attacking others and downplaying serious cultural issues?”

Current Political Context

The criticism emerged amidst recent policy changes by U.S. President Donald Trump. On his first day back in the White House, Trump revoked an executive order by former President Joe Biden that aimed to protect individuals from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Trump also signed an executive order recognizing only two genders—male and female—and removed the “X” gender option from U.S. passports.

Solana’s Removal of the Advertisement

After facing a wave of criticism and negative reactions from the crypto community and the general public, the Solana team decided to take down the advertisement from their platforms.

This move was made in response to concerns that the ad’s content was inappropriate and could be offensive to various groups.

Lessons from the Controversy

This controversy highlights the importance of sensitivity in marketing strategies, especially when addressing socially sensitive issues.

While the primary goal was to promote a major event like the Solana Accelerate Conference, a failure to consider the social impact can backfire, damaging a company’s reputation.

Going forward, companies are expected to be more cautious and mindful of social and political contexts when designing their marketing campaigns.

Conclusion: Controversy as a Reminder of Marketing Sensitivity

Solana’s advertisement, which faced harsh criticism, demonstrates that marketing strategies failing to account for social sensitivities can negatively impact a company’s image.

The removal of the ad served as a corrective step after strong reactions from the crypto community and the public.

Moving forward, companies, especially in the technology and blockchain industries, must be more careful in crafting their marketing messages to avoid falling into controversies that could harm their reputation and public trust.

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