Cardano’s Hoskinson Says ‘Best Days Are Ahead’ as ADA Trades 95% Below Peak
Key Takeaways
- •ADA is trading around $0.165, roughly 95% below its all-time high of $3.09 set in September 2021.
- •The token has fallen 53% in 2026 and has kept sliding after briefly rising to just under $0.20 on July 5.
- •Hoskinson said Cardano needs a change in strategy and believes the project can still succeed despite current challenges.
- •He is seeking to clear more than 600 million ADA in treasury requests, but Cardano’s treasury cap limits net funding changes to 350 million ADA at a time.
- •Derivatives data remains bearish, with ADA’s long-to-short ratio at 0.82 and funding rates at -0.008, while support is seen at $0.150 and then $0.137.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson says the project’s “best days are ahead,” even as ADA trades about 95% below its all-time high of $3.09, which was set in September 2021.
Hoskinson made the comments during a recent X AMA, responding to criticism over ADA’s prolonged decline. “Surprise AMA 07-27-2026 — Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) July 27, 2026”
ADA is currently trading around $0.165. The token has fallen 53% in 2026 alone and has continued sliding over the past seven days after briefly touching just under $0.20 on July 5.
The pressure on Cardano has extended beyond price action. Governance disputes, builder shutdowns, and the cancellation of a 2026 summit have all weighed on sentiment, underscoring that the network’s recovery debate is about ecosystem execution as much as market performance. Hoskinson also stepped back from social media at one point before returning to address the backlash.
“I still do believe our best days are ahead of us, and I still do believe that we can succeed despite the demons we’ve let in. We just have to change the approach, and we just have to change the strategy,” Hoskinson said on X.
Hoskinson’s Funding Plan
Hoskinson has been pushing for a funding overhaul. He wants to clear a backlog of more than 600 million ADA in treasury requests.
The challenge is a hard cap: Cardano’s treasury only allows 350 million ADA in net funding changes at one time, which is well below the amount builders are requesting.
His proposed solution is to spread development across more independent companies rather than relying heavily on his own firm, Input Output Global.
Hoskinson says network security and utility, rather than short-term speculation, are what drive ADA’s price over time, a point that puts renewed attention on whether Cardano can translate governance and treasury changes into visible network activity.
What the Charts Show
Derivatives data points to bearish sentiment. CoinGlass shows ADA’s long-to-short ratio at 0.82, near a one-month low. A reading below 1 means more traders are positioned for a decline.
Funding rates turned negative on Sunday and read -0.008 on Monday, meaning shorts are paying longs, which is another bearish signal.
ADA is trading below its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day EMAs, which are clustered between $0.180 and $0.270.
The RSI is around 47, slightly below neutral, indicating weak momentum. The MACD shows only modest recovery attempts within the broader downtrend.
“$ADA is printing a potential inverse head and shoulders formation on the daily chart If the pattern confirms a breakout above the neckline could send $ADA straight back toward the $0.24 resistance zone pic.twitter.com/70xk86a4O9 — Token Talk (@TokenTalk3x) July 24, 2026”
Analyst Token Talk flagged a possible inverse head and shoulders pattern on the daily chart and said a breakout above the neckline could send ADA back toward the $0.24 resistance zone.
Immediate support sits at $0.150, with the next level down near $0.137.
ADA’s funding rate read -0.008 on Monday.