Late Monday, the organization responsible for promoting Solana decided to withdraw an advertisement that was heavily criticized for its perceived anti-queer sentiments. This decision came nearly nine hours after the ad appeared to draw upon cultural debates in a bid to increase attendance at its conference.
The now-removed advertisement depicted “America” undergoing therapy. The personifying figure of the nation yearns to envision grand concepts – like technology, cryptocurrency, and space exploration. However, his therapist insists he concentrate on “pronouns” and on “creating new genders.”
“America, numbers are non-binary,” the therapist asserts while admonishing him for his “rational thinking syndrome.” Eventually, America erupts, exclaiming, “I want to invent technologies, not genders.”
Critics were quick to highlight that it was surprising for this Swiss nonprofit, dedicated to advocating for the Solana blockchain, to resort to conservative rhetoric for its inaugural U.S. conference promotion. Key figures within the Solana community labeled it as pandering, and others found it offensive.
This move marks a departure for an organization that previously embraced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as essential elements of its “core values,” emphasizing that conference attendees should respect all individuals, regardless of gender.
Only weeks prior to when Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency in part due to an anti-trans campaign, the organization hosted a conference in Singapore. At that event, the code of conduct explicitly prohibited “deliberate verbal or physical intimidation” based on “gender,” “gender identity and expression,” and other characteristics related to DEI. Violators faced expulsion and potentially being banned from future gatherings.
“The organization is dedicated to the ideals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect,” the Code of conduct stated.
It remains ambiguous whether this advertising strategy reflects a broader shift in the organization’s foundational values. Efforts to obtain the code of conduct for the forthcoming event have so far been unsuccessful. A representative from the organization has yet to respond to requests for comments.
Regardless, the ad has the potential to intertwine the cryptocurrency sector more deeply with partisan politics than many within the field would prefer.
The crypto domain’s alignment with Trump’s presidency had previously been characterized by a focus on a singular issue: Trump’s commitment to support cryptocurrency, leading industry leaders to align with him. This arrangement also allowed space for proponents to collaborate with Democrats, with many doing so.
This delicate balance may begin to erode if cryptocurrency no longer retains its seemingly bipartisan appeal.