Charles Hoskinson (찰스 호스킨슨), Cardano’s founder, said the network’s biggest upgrade is nearing and stressed that its fundamentals remain solid despite weak prices and governance tensions.

On July 2 local time, blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that he presented network reliability as a key indicator of blockchain health in a recent community update.

Hoskinson said Cardano has never been hacked and block production has continued at a steady pace without interruption. He also argued that these operating metrics show Cardano’s infrastructure is running stably regardless of short-term market sentiment or price swings.

He said in particular that Cardano is approaching the “biggest upgrade in history.” He explained that the upgrade would mark an entry point into a new phase with technical progress and improved scalability, while strengthening infrastructure and expanding use cases as the network matures.

He pointed to RealFi as a concrete execution task. RealFi is a project that links DeFi with the real economy and uses on-chain liquidity for lending and credit markets. Hoskinson said RealFi is moving from the concept stage to actual implementation. The RealFi testnet is scheduled to launch on July 6, and mainnet deployment is expected to follow shortly after, he said.

He also mentioned efforts to expand Bitcoin DeFi within the Cardano ecosystem. Hoskinson said the Forgoon initiative would allow Bitcoin holders to participate in Cardano-based DeFi services without fully leaving the Bitcoin economy. He said the structure could attract greater liquidity and a broader user base.

He also presented Midnight, a privacy-focused partner chain, as a main pillar. Hoskinson described 2026 as the “year of Midnight beta” and said this year’s top priority is preparing for broader mass adoption. He said development is proceeding at a fast pace and assessed that Midnight’s launch process is proving Cardano’s partner chain model. He said specialised chains can operate in parallel with Cardano while benefiting from the broader ecosystem and security model.

The remarks came as criticism grows that Cardano’s presence is fading. ADA is trading below $0.20 and ranks 16th by market capitalisation on CoinMarketCap. Along with weak prices, governance tensions and the departure of key players have led to claims that the project is effectively over.

Hoskinson did not accept such criticism. He said Cardano will continue to survive and evolve even if he is not involved. He also stressed that market sentiment does not determine the project’s long-term future and that a token’s trajectory can change quickly.

The message is read as an attempt to shift the criteria for assessing Cardano from short-term price to accumulated technology and practical usability. Citing continued progress in key initiatives such as Midnight, RealFi and Bitcoin DeFi, Hoskinson repeatedly stressed that ecosystem expansion is continuing despite negative sentiment and temporary weakness.