TLDR
- Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson says the network must complete key roadmap and governance milestones to unlock its next growth phase.
- ADA is down 40.71% year-to-date and has fallen out of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap.
- RealFi and Bitcoin DeFi project Pogun have secured $600 million in soft commitments, with potential for billions in TVL.
- The Leios scalability upgrade and a related hard fork remain top priorities for the Cardano team.
- Cardano ranks 36th in total value locked (TVL) and still has no spot ETF, limiting institutional interest.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has called on the ecosystem to complete its roadmap and governance goals, saying the network must “finish what we started” to move into its next phase.
Voting Update https://t.co/7hHSnuOz8C
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) August 31, 2026
He made the comments while discussing a voting update for Cardano’s Constitutional Committee.
Hoskinson pointed to progress across the ecosystem, including the launch of RealFi and growing interest in Bitcoin DeFi. He suggested RealFi could attract billions of dollars in TVL over the coming years.
Bitcoin DeFi through Pogun has already secured $600 million in soft commitments, according to Hoskinson.
Key Priorities for Cardano
Hoskinson outlined several things the network needs to complete. These include finishing the Leios scalability upgrade and activating a related hard fork.
Governance is another focus. He called for completing “the last mile of governance” and building institutions that can operate independently and improve over time.
The Cardano community has already approved a Constitutional Committee proposal that keeps the committee above five members, allowing it to vote on key upgrades including the Leios constitutional update.
Despite those steps forward, ADA has struggled in 2026. The token is down 40.71% year-to-date and is no longer in the top 10 by market cap.
ADA Faces Pressure From Competitors
Cardano ranks 36th in total value locked, a key DeFi metric. Competitors like Solana are down around 18% this year — far better than ADA’s 41% decline.
Cardano also has no spot ETF, unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and even Dogecoin. This limits access for retail and institutional investors.
Analyst Ali Charts flagged a potential turning point, noting that the Tom DeMark Sequential indicator has flashed a new buy signal on ADA’s daily chart. Previous signals triggered rallies of 44.5% on June 25, 11.5% on July 15, and 50.9% on August 18, suggesting another rebound could be forming.
CARDANO: BUY SIGNAL
The Tom DeMark Sequential has just flashed a new buy signal on Cardano's daily chart.
These signals have done an excellent job identifying recent bottoms:
• June 25: +44.5% rally
• July 15: +11.5% rally
• August 18: +50.9% rallyNow the indicator is… pic.twitter.com/dAnEKn1vID
— Ali Charts (@alicharts) September 2, 2026
Hoskinson maintained that the ecosystem is “not out of the game.” Both Leios and RealFi are scheduled to launch later this year.
ADA is currently trading around $0.20, down roughly 94% from its all-time high of near $3 reached in September 2021.
