Solana Removes Ad Following Criticism Over Gender Identity Messaging

TLDR

• Solana deleted a controversial ad after backlash for its messaging about gender identity issues
• The ad depicted “America” wanting to “invent technologies, not genders” in an apparent criticism of progressive values
• The ad received widespread criticism from crypto industry figures for being divisive and offensive
• The controversial messaging appeared to contradict Solana’s previous commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• The ad had over 1.2 million views before being removed, with some suggesting it was intentional “rage bait” marketing

Solana has deleted an advertisement from its social media accounts following strong criticism from the crypto community. The ad, which ran for about nine hours, sparked debate for its messaging related to gender identity issues.

The advertisement was posted on March 17 with the caption “America is back. Time to Accelerate.” It showed a man representing “America” in a therapy session. The therapist told him he should focus on “coming up with a new gender” and “focus on pronouns” instead of thinking about innovation and crypto.

In the ad, the man eventually says he wants to “build onchain and reclaim my place as the beacon of innovation” and that he wants “to invent technologies, not genders.” The ad featured patriotic music playing in the background.

Before being removed, the video had been viewed over 1.2 million times. It received more than 1,300 comments and 1,400 reposts on X (formerly Twitter). Most of the responses were negative.

Took them 9 hours to delete it.

Also all the major players in the Solana ecosystem suddenly delete their tweets promoting/supporting the ad and RT’d and liked takes about it being bad.

They approved this, supported it and celebrated it.

They rolled it back because it hurt… pic.twitter.com/kPMERDpTcn

— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) March 18, 2025

Many crypto industry leaders spoke out against the ad. Sean O’Connor, operating chief at Web3 infrastructure firm Blocknative, called it “tone deaf” on social media. He noted the timing was poor given recent policy changes affecting transgender people.

hey @solana – for real?

at a time when trans people are getting denied passports and being erased by the government… this is the ad you put out?

this is so fucking tone deaf https://t.co/p2hF5jIb9c

— sean o’connor | gas network (@aseoconnor) March 17, 2025

David McIntyre, operating chief at DoubleZero, described the ad as “horrendous.” He questioned why Solana didn’t “keep the message positive instead of dunking on people and making light of serious cultural issues.”

The controversy comes shortly after President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. On his first day back, Trump revoked executive orders aimed at preventing discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. He also signed an order recognizing only two sexes and removed the option for Americans to choose “X” as a gender on passports.

Nicolas Pennie, co-founder of Solana development platform Helius, commented that “virtue signaling will always be cringe regardless of political ideology.” This suggests that some viewed the ad as an attempt to appeal to certain political viewpoints.

Some initial supporters of the ad later changed their position. Multicoin Capital co-founder Tushar Jain deleted his post praising the ad “after some reflection.” He had previously called it “bold and risky.”

From DEI to Controversy

Critics pointed out that the ad seemed to contradict Solana’s previous stance on diversity and inclusion. Just weeks before President Trump’s election victory, the Solana Foundation held a conference in Singapore with a code of conduct that showed strong support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

That code of conduct prohibited “deliberate verbal or physical intimidation” based on “gender,” “gender identity and expression,” or other traits. It stated: “The Solana Foundation is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect.”

Tyler Bench, CRO of on-chain governance platform Tally.xyz, had harsh words for the advertisement. He wrote on X: “This might be the single most toxic piece of content I have ever consumed. It’s like the Coinbase ads if they were created by an incel who hasn’t left the basement in years.”

Anneri van der Merwe, product lead at Base, criticized the ad for going against crypto’s inclusive values. “Offensive, cringe, and pandering. Base is for everyone. Solana co-opted the ‘is for everyone’ phrase last week too. This ad shows there’s still a long way to go in truly embracing that ethos,” van der Merwe posted.

This new solana ad misses the mark so much.

Offensive, cringe, and pandering.

Base is for everyone. Solana co-opted the "is for everyone" phrase last week too. This ad shows there’s still a long way to go in truly embracing that ethos.https://t.co/cz5UVTsIMK

— aneri.base.eth (@0xAneri) March 17, 2025

Even Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko seemed to distance himself from the campaign. He suggested in a social media post that the company’s previous “Maren ad was better,” referring to an earlier, less controversial marketing effort.

Adam Cochran, partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, suggested the deletion was business-motivated rather than a change of heart. “They rolled it back because it hurt their business, not because they thought it was wrong,” he wrote on X on March 18.

Some industry observers suggested the advertisement may have been intentional “rage bait.” This marketing approach aims to generate buzz through controversy. However, such tactics risk alienating large portions of the global crypto community.

The Solana Foundation, a Swiss nonprofit that promotes the Solana blockchain, has not officially stated why it deleted the ad. Representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment from various news outlets.

The controversy comes as Solana faces other challenges. The network’s native token hit a yearly low on March 10, dropping to $118 as activity on its popular meme coin platform Pump.Fun showed signs of slowing down.

The situation highlights growing tensions within the crypto space about political messaging. Many industry figures argue that such divisive content contradicts crypto’s foundational values of neutrality and global inclusivity.

The post Solana Removes Ad Following Criticism Over Gender Identity Messaging appeared first on Blockonomi.