- Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, clarified that he doesn’t hold public wallet addresses due to security issues.
- Hoskinson’s comments about contingent settlement led to some misconceptions about Cardano’s stance on transaction permissions.
Hoskinson’s Take on Public Wallet Addresses
In a recent, somewhat contentious exchange in the crypto world, Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, provided a clear explanation for his decision to eschew public wallet addresses. The discussion was initiated by an anonymous crypto enthusiast known as Gabscrypto, who identifies as a “Censorship-Resistant Cypherpunk Maximalist.”
Misconceptions Around Contingent Settlement
The question of public wallet addresses was brought to light when Gabscrypto pointed out that Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, maintains a public wallet address despite being a frequent target of criticism in the Cardano community. He queried Hoskinson,
“Where is your public wallet address, Charles?”
Reacting swiftly to the query, Hoskinson defended his decision, citing security concerns. He explained that having a public wallet address would make him vulnerable to risks such as blacklisting, should people from sanctioned countries or those utilizing banned services attempt to send him crypto assets.
Friendly Asshole Reminder that @VitalikButerin, the founder of Ethereum and favorite piñata of the Cardano Community BroCult, has a public wallet address, while Cardano's founder does not.
Where is your public wallet address, @IOHK_Charles?
Did you even claim your @adahandle?— Ergochad Gα₿ 👨🚀💽 (@gabscrypto) July 29, 2023
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Hoskinson also expressed appreciation for the concept of contingent settlement, a process where both the sender and recipient of a crypto transaction sign the transaction before it is processed. This method ensures that the recipient agrees with the transaction. However, his comments stirred confusion and were interpreted by Gabscrypto and others as advocating for contingent transactions on the Cardano platform.
Community Clashes over Interpretations
This misinterpretation led to further debate within the community. Gabscrypto contended that Hoskinson was undermining the permissionless nature of blockchain by suggesting contingent transactions. This notion prompted rebuke from several Cardano proponents, who defended Hoskinson and noted that his comments had been misunderstood. Alan, host of the Cardano community podcast “Artists on Cardano,” and Reddstar were among those who clarified that Hoskinson never advocated for any parameter changes on the Cardano platform.
Contingent Staking and Its Implications
Earlier this year, Hoskinson had proposed the idea of contingent staking, a process where the stake pool operator and delegators sign transactions before they can be processed on the Cardano network. The proposal was developed in light of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s heightened scrutiny of crypto staking.
Hoskinson’s proposal aligned with legal requirements and global Know-Your-Customer (KYC) standards. Still, it drew a mixed reaction from the community, exemplifying the evolving and often complex discourse surrounding crypto transactions, privacy, and security.
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