Solana cancels an announcement after the controversy on gender identity issues

Yesterday, Solana removed a controversial advertisement posted on its X account (formerly Twitter) after sparking a wave of criticism for its message on gender identity themes. The announcement, shared yesterday to promote the Solana Accelerate Conference, quickly generated negative reactions and was deleted after reaching over 1.2 million views.  

Solana: a contested spot for its political message  

The commercial video, lasting over two and a half minutes, showed a man representing “America” engaged in a therapy session. During the dialogue with the therapist, the protagonist expressed thoughts related to technological innovation, mentioning the world of criptovalute.

However, the psychologist’s response sparked strong controversy. The therapist indeed suggested to the patient to engage in something more productive, such as “inventing a new genre” or “focusing on pronouns”, with a clear ironic undertone towards contemporary discussions on gender identity.  

The tension was rising until the moment when the protagonist reacted with a monologue accompanied by a patriotic soundtrack, stating the desire to “build onchain and reclaim my place as a beacon of innovation”. He then concluded by saying he wanted to invent technologies rather than genres, taking a jab at progressive values.  

Criticism and revocation of the announcement  

The publication of the announcement immediately attracted more than 1,300 comments and 1,400 shares, with the majority of users condemning the tone and content of the video. Many accused it of ridiculing sensitive issues and politicizing an already highly divisive topic.  

Some industry experts have openly expressed their dissent. Among them, Adam Cochran, partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, stated today on X that Solana withdrew the announcement only to avoid image damage, and not because they considered it wrong.

Even Sean O’Connor, the chief operating officer of the company Blocknative, expressed strong disappointment on social media, calling the announcement “extremely insensitive”. He then added that, at a historical moment when trans citizens are being denied documents and legal recognition, an ad of this type is particularly inappropriate.  

David McIntyre, chief operating officer of DoubleZero, criticized the approach of Solana, emphasizing that the company could have focused on a positive message instead of targeting sensitive and cultural topics.

Among the more measured reactions was that of Nicolas Pennie, co-founder of the development platform Helius, who argued that every kind of moral virtuosity is unpleasant, regardless of political ideology.  

Even the supporters of Solana have revised their positions  

Initially, some industry influencers had praised the advertisement, but in light of the controversies, they have revised their positions.  

Among them, Tushar Jain, co-founder of the investment firm Multicoin Capital, deleted his initial endorsement post after further reflection. Initially, he had described the announcement as “bold and risky” and joked that the only way to make it even more impactful would be to have former Vice President Kamala Harris play the therapist.  

Later, however, Jain backtracked, stating that the spot should have focused on deeper themes related to cultural conflicts, rather than limiting itself to the issue of pronouns. According to him, the announcement could have conveyed the message without alienating part of the audience.  

No official explanation from Solana  

Despite the removal of the post, the Solana team has not provided official explanations on the reason for the deletion. The Solana Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment, leaving many questions unanswered about the real motivations behind this decision.

The episode highlights once again how the communication of tech companies can generate strong repercussions, especially when it touches on political and social issues. In an era of increasing polarization, brands are called to carefully choose the tone and content of their messages, especially in such sensitive areas.