Renowned Bitcoin maximalist and advisor to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, Max Keiser, has lashed out at Cardano (ADA), again setting the crypto community abuzz with controversy.
The firestorm began last Friday when Keiser tweeted that only Bitcoin maximalists would be allowed into El Salvador, adding that “If you’re NOT a Bitcoiner, then maybe this isn’t the right place for YOU!”
Later, the HODLER shared a provocative short video with the caption “Charles Hoskinson forking ADA/Cardano.”
The tweet triggered a heated response from the Cardano community, with various communities condemning Keiser’s remarks. Unfazed, Keiser, however, doubled down on his attacks on Saturday, asserting that Cardano and other altcoins “are rightly considered toxic, poisonous, unregistered, illegal shitcoins in ElSalvador.”
As the social media conversation unfolded, a user confronted Keiser, suggesting that his persistent focus on Cardano implies it’s doing something that concerns him. Keiser replied, cautioning the public about what he deemed ADA to be extremely centralized and valueless and was destined to plummet 99% against Bitcoin in 2024. He claimed that their actions, including pushing for the expulsion of Charles Hoskinson from El Salvador, had played a role in saving lives in the country.
This prompted a curious question from another user, challenging Keiser’s intense focus on Cardano. Keiser responded, “I feel compelled to warn people. Like Noah and the ark. ADA is extremely dangerous, centralized garbage.”
Keiser’s remarks come just a day after Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, confronted Bitcoin maximalists, specifically mentioning Max Keiser. Hoskinson criticized the maximalists’ tendency to dismiss altcoins, characterizing them as scams and their proponents as criminals. According to Hoskinson, Keiser is part of a group that considers everything except Bitcoin as worthless, illegal, and deserving of imprisonment for those involved.
The clash between Bitcoin maximalists and proponents of altcoins is not new, with Keiser being one of the most bold and explicit dissenting voices of altcoins. It shall be recalled that in May, Keiser claimed that everything, including Ethereum and XRP, were securities apart from Bitcoin. Just over a month ago, he claimed that cryptocurrencies like Cardano and XRP, among other altcoins, had been created by financial terrorists and were “undoubtedly used to fund terrorism.”
That said, as the crypto space continues to evolve, conflicts of ideology and competition between different projects will likely persist. However, a majority in the crypto community seems determined to weed out this rivalry, with some arguing that all cryptocurrencies should exist in harmony. This is more prompted by the realization that the crypto sector is faced with immense problems, such as regulations, hacks and claims of terrorism funding.