Charles Hoskinson Assesses His ‘Paper’ Losses at $3 Billion

Charles Hoskinson reports $3 billion in unrealized losses during Tokyo broadcast.

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has reported unrealized losses exceeding $3 billion. He made this announcement during a live broadcast from Tokyo.

Red Days https://t.co/lO21fGjc0w

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) February 5, 2026

The developer emphasized that he does not intend to liquidate his positions. According to him, he is involved in cryptocurrencies not for the money and could “easily cash out,” but has chosen not to do so.

“I have lost more money than any of the listeners—over $3 billion. Do you think I don’t care if I lose everything? You’re mistaken. It’s easy to say, ‘Charles, you’re rich, you’ll survive.’ But I haven’t left,” Hoskinson noted.

The entrepreneur warned the community that the market situation could worsen. He advised developers and investors to remain optimistic and find meaning in their work, not just profit.

The statement comes amid a general market downturn. The sector’s capitalization has shrunk by 2.8%. Cardano’s native token (ADA) fell by more than 2.7% in a day—to $0.26. The current price is 91.5% below the all-time high of $3.09, recorded in September 2021 (according to CoinGecko).

Hoskinson had already raised the issue of losses in January. In a podcast, The Wolf of All Streets, he estimated the damage from regulatory uncertainty and policy at $2.5 billion over four years. He described 2026 as a period of “fundamental reset,” where real utility will replace speculation in the infrastructure.

Despite financial metrics, the Cardano team continues to work on its technical roadmap. Among the priority areas, Hoskinson highlighted the scaling solution Hydra, improvements to the Leios consensus algorithm, and the Midnight sidechain.

Back in December 2025, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz warned of risks for XRP and Cardano.