Charles Hoskinson To Ditch X To Focus On Cardano And Midnight, Lines Up Digital Twin Replacement ⋆ ZyCrypto

Cardano founder has unfurled plans to replace his persona on X (formerly Twitter) with an artificial intelligence (AI) version in 2026. Going forward, Hoskinson confirmed that he will remain in touch with the Cardano and Midnight communities via Discord and YouTube. 

Hoskinson Says Goodbye To Elon Musk’s X

After 12 years on X, Charles Hoskinson has announced his intention to leave the microblogging site over the platform’s incentive structure. In a farewell note, the Cardano founder confirmed December 31, 2025, as his final day on X, lining up an AI replacement for his persona.

According to Hoskinson, a digital twin will take over his X account, periodically making tweets and responding to certain posts. While not expressly disclosed, Hoskinson hinted that the digital twin will be trained on previous X posts, threads, and replies with off-platform content from podcasts and blogs forming part of the training data.

“Five more days on X. Come January, a digital twin takes over this account,” said Hoskinson. “I’ll explain what that means on the first YouTube stream of the new year.”

Hoskinson blamed his exit on X’s engagement-driven ranking, favoring strong emotional reactions. He argued that the platform rewards outrage while substance is often relegated to the back burner, a departure from its original ideals.

Going forward, Hoskinson disclosed that he will double down on Cardano governance, Basho, and the Midnight project.

“Why leave? X rewards outrage. The work that matters – Africa, Basho, Midnight 1.0, Cardano governance – rewards building,” said Hoskinson. “Ten years taught me which game is worth playing.”

For now, Hoskinson confirmed that he will make appearances on Midnight Discord for weekly AMAs. Furthermore, he disclosed an intention to return to long-form writing while holding regular  YouTube livestreams for community members.

End Of An Era For Crypto Twitter

Since joining X in 2013, Hoskinson has garnered 1 million followers while distinguishing himself as one of the industry’s most active voices. Hoskinson earned a reputation for being one of the most outspoken founders in the space, leaning on the platform to bare his thoughts on several high-profile network issues.

Hoskinson’s exit is the latest in a long line of key opinion leaders leaving X. Back in 2024, Vitalik Buterin left X for the crypto-centric social media platform Farcaster, with the Ethereum co-founder touting it as an alternative to the Elon Musk-owned platform.