Charles Hoskinson is a software developer, crypto entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is most-known for founding Cardano and is also a co-founder of Ethereum, the second most valuable cryptocurrency.
A born leader and visionary, Hoskinson dreams of creating a sustainable blockchain that will serve as an operating system for the global economy. Charles’ wealth is heavily linked to Cardano’s price which has been on the slide over the 12 months.
Current Net Worth
The cryptocurrency is a highly volatile market so his fortune moves up or down by millions every week. As of 2023, Charles Hoskinson has a net worth of $550 million. No one knows for certain how much Bitcoin or ADA Charles Hoskinson owns and his net worth is well below Changpeng Zhao as well as his ex-colleague Vitalik Buterin. Charles reached billionaire status twice in 2017 and 2021 but his wealth dipped when the crypto market dropped.
Early Life
Charles Hoskinson was born in Hawaii on November 5, 1987. Coming from a family of medical doctors, Hoskinson aspired to be a surgeon in his younger years until he developed a fascination for technology and computers.
He was homeschooled as a kid and spent hours on computers developing his technical skills. Even at a young age, he was destined for success. Hoskinson steered clear from his family’s career path and pursued his passion by studying Advanced Mathematics and Number Theory at The University of Denver, Colorado.
Joining the Crypto Industry
Hoskinson joined the crypto industry in 2011 and started investing in Bitcoin. The resilience of Bitcoin impressed Hoskinson so much that it inspired him to open an online class to educate people about BTC for free. Hoskinson’s classes were attended by over 17,000 students and in just a matter of weeks, he became a well-respected figure in the space.
In 2014, Hoskinson partnered with Dan Larimer to launch BitShares Blockchain which was a pioneer in decentralized bitcoin exchanges. After Hoskinson and Larimer parted ways, the former then teamed up with Vitalik Buterin and six other members to launch Ethereum. The launch was a phenomenal success and Ethereum now has a market cap of around $150 billion.
Leaving Ethereum
Hoskinson wanted Ethereum to be a for-profit business while the other co-founders wanted it to be a non-profit. Due to conflicting opinions, Hoskinson left Ethereum in 2015 and gave away his 293,000 Ether to his secretary as a gift. Today, the 293,000 Ether is now worth close to $530 million!
Founding Cardano
With the help of Jeremy Wood, Hoskinson started IOHK which developed Cardano (ADA), and he was given complete freedom to execute his vision. Cardano can facilitate peer-to-peer transactions with its native currency, ADA. It was labeled as a ghost chain in 2015 but with the company’s ongoing research programs, this blockchain infrastructure is on the rise. Some thin Cardano could even overtake Ethereum’s market cap.
Personal Life
Despite his prominent status, details about his personal life are not in the public eye. He is a very private person and it is unknown whether he is single or in a relationship. However, there is speculation that he could be dating Maria Jones.
The one and only Mr Charles Hoskinson 👑 #legend #genius #amazingfriend
Happy bday 💥🍾🎉 love u @iohk_charles ❤️❤️❤️
Maria pic.twitter.com/WJILxkDXbe— MARIA JONES (@mariajonesblog) November 4, 2018
