- Solana removed its controversial ad after backlash, with critics calling it “offensive” and “divisive”, particularly for a line dismissing gender diversity.
- Industry figures slammed the campaign, arguing it contradicted crypto’s ethos of inclusivity, while some suggested it was a deliberate “rage bait” marketing tactic.
- Solana’s price hit a yearly low of $118, coinciding with declining meme coin activity on Pump.Fun, adding to concerns about the network’s broader market position.
Solana has removed its “America is Back—Time to Accelerate” ad after facing heavy criticism on X (formerly Twitter), with users calling it “offensive,” “cringe,” and “divisive.”
The now-deleted video was posted on Monday around noon in New York and had already racked up 1.4 million views by evening. The ad leaned into patriotic themes and political messaging, stirring controversy—especially for a scene featuring a young man in therapy for “rational thinking syndrome” stating, “I want to invent technologies, not gender.”
As of now, Solana has not issued an official response regarding the backlash or the ad’s removal.
Solana Faces Market Pressure Amid Controversy
Solana, the second-largest smart contract network behind Ethereum, has also been experiencing a price slump. On Monday, SOL dropped to $118, marking its lowest point in over a year. The decline follows signs of exhaustion among meme coin traders on Pump.Fun, a platform that saw a meme coin frenzy last year but has since cooled off—especially after Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, endorsed a Solana-based meme coin, LIBRA.
Despite the video’s removal, clips have resurfaced across X, fueling ongoing debate.
“This might be the single most toxic piece of content I have ever consumed. It’s like the Coinbase ads if they were created by an incel who hasn’t left the basement in years,” wrote Tyler Bench, CRO of on-chain governance platform Tally.xyz.
The controversy highlights growing tensions within crypto over political messaging, with critics arguing that Solana’s campaign contradicted the industry’s values of neutrality and inclusivity.
Industry Backlash Grows
Anneri van der Merwe, product lead at Base, slammed the ad for alienating users instead of welcoming them.
“Offensive, cringe, and pandering. Base is for everyone. Solana co-opted the ‘is for everyone’ phrase last week too. This ad shows there’s still a long way to go in truly embracing that ethos,” she posted on X.
Other industry figures echoed similar concerns. Adam Cochran, partner at Cinneamhain Ventures, questioned the motivation behind the campaign, calling it an example of Silicon Valley’s misguided echo chamber.
“The ‘mind virus’ that’s infected the nation is whatever weird circlejerk is going on in Silicon Valley where people are convinced they were oppressed and that this is cool or edgy,” Cochran stated.
Marketing Stunt or Misstep?
Mentor Reka, CEO of DEX protocol Avnu.Fi, believes the ad was a deliberate attempt to stir controversy and grab attention.
“This might be Solana’s least inventive ad ever. They clearly went for attention over EVERYTHING, and well… mission accomplished, I guess,” Reka commented.
Even Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko distanced himself from the campaign, casually suggesting that the company’s previous ‘Maren ad’ was better.
Some observers speculate that the ad was an example of “rage bait” marketing, where controversy is used to generate engagement—a strategy that may have backfired by alienating portions of the global crypto community.
With no official statement from Solana, the situation remains a cautionary tale for how crypto brands approach messaging in an increasingly polarized landscape.
