Charles Hoskinson Criticizes Crypto Media Over Misinformation, and Fact-Checking Failures

• Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson slams crypto media for misreporting and AI-generated low-quality content.
• A memecoin inspired by Hoskinson caused confusion after a news outlet falsely claimed he promised exclusive content to holders.
• The report confused the Official Charles Memecoin with The CHARLES Media Token, a legitimate project tied to blockchain-based interviews.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has publicly criticized the crypto media’s reliance on AI-generated content, poor fact-checking, and misleading reports. His comments come after a recently launched memecoin bearing his name led to confusion, exacerbated by erroneous reporting from a crypto news outlet.

Meme coin confusion

A news report falsely claimed that Hoskinson had promised holders of the Official Charles Meme coin (Charles) exclusive content in April 2025 as compensation for their losses. However, the ADA founder has no connection to the project and had previously distanced himself from it.

This is how bad the crypto media is: https://t.co/BpuR73EkcQ they don't even understand there are two different tokens. Everything is AI-written, low quality, and almost no fact-checking.

We need to do better as an industry

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) February 2, 2025

The memecoin, created by an anonymous community member, attempted to gain legitimacy by sending 90% of its supply to a wallet Hoskinson had showcased in a live stream. However, Hoskinson permanently removed the tokens from circulation, stating that he did not want to be associated with the asset.

This action collapsed the memecoin’s hype, with its diluted market cap plummeting from over $70 million to under $300,000 as holders dumped their positions.

The Real CHARLES Token

The news outlet in question confused the memecoin with The CHARLES Media Token (CHARLES)—a legitimate fungible media token created by Hoskinson and Book.io. Unlike the speculative memecoin, the CHARLES token represents a 90-minute interview with Hoskinson on the blockchain.

The misreporting stemmed from a failure to verify contract addresses, leading to confusion among traders and the broader Cardano community.

Hoskinson pointed to the incident as an example of poor journalism in the crypto space, calling out AI-driven content, lack of fact-checking, and pressure to break news quickly.

The mix-up underscores the growing issue of misinformation in the industry, where speculative projects often exploit public figures, and media outlets fail to conduct proper due diligence.

Hoskinson’s comments highlight the need for higher journalistic standards in crypto reporting, as false information can significantly impact market sentiment and investor decisions.