Charles Hoskinson Confirms XRP Integration and Midnight Airdrop for Holders

In a recent “Ask Me Anything” session on YouTube, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson Charles Hoskinson Charles Hoskinson is an American entrepreneur and blockchain visionary. He co-founded IOHK, and Cardano (ADA), a blockchain project. He also co-founded the Ethereum blockchain platform. With the help of Cardano’s proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain, Charles weighs on scalability, security, and interoperability to facilitate enterprise blockchain adoption. He directs research in Web3, cryptocurrency innovation, and decentralized governance through IOHK. Quick Facts Full Name Charles Hoskinson Birth 05-11-1987 in Hawaii, United States Nationality American Education University of Colorado Boulder, Metropolitan State University of Denver Marital Status Unmarried as of 2025 Net Worth Estimated around $700 million Charles Hoskinson's work in cryptography, digital assets, and blockchain promotion has recognized him in the crypto. His efforts in developing blockchain have greatly contributed to the advancement of DeFi and blockchain networks globally. Charles Hoskinson - Professional Career Timeline 2013 – Co-founded Ethereum (ETH), contributing to smart contracts and decentralized applications. 2014 – Left Ethereum over governance disputes and founded IOHK (Input Output Hong Kong). 2015 – Started developing Cardano (ADA), a third-generation blockchain with a proof-of-stake (PoS) model. 2017 – Launched Cardano mainnet, introducing scalable and secure blockchain solutions. 2019 – Led Cardano’s Shelley upgrade, enhancing network decentralization and staking rewards. 2021 – Rolled out Alonzo hard fork, enabling smart contracts and DeFi on Cardano. 2022 – Expanded Web3, governance, and blockchain adoption via Cardano’s Vasil hard fork. 2023 – Advocated financial inclusion and blockchain education in Africa and developing nations. 2024 – Advanced self-sovereign identity and on-chain governance with Cardano’s latest updates. Present – Continues shaping blockchain innovation, DeFi, and decentralized ecosystems through IOHK. He has collaborated with various tech experts and blockchain startups. Charles sees decentralized finance as a tool for financial freedom. He also educates crypto beginners through social media sites, conferences, and tech channels. Useful Links to Connect With Charles Hoskinson Platform Link X (formerly Twitter) Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) / X LinkedIn profile Charles Hoskinson - Self-employed | LinkedIn Cardano Foundation Cardano Foundation YouTube profile https://www.youtube.com/c/charleshoskinson Chief Executive Officer dropped major updates on two key partnerships. While talks with Ripple’s XRP team are progressing smoothly, he revealed that the collaboration with Chainlink is taking longer than anticipated.

Hoskinson sounded very positive about Cardano’s work with Ripple. He shared that soon, XRP will be supported in Cardano’s Lace wallet, allowing users to store their XRP safely. 

Launched in April 2023, the Lace Wallet started with support for Cardano native assets like ADA but has since evolved into a multi-chain wallet through several updates. This integration will allow users to seamlessly manage XRP alongside ADA and BTC directly from the wallet.

XRP Holders To Be Included In Midnight Airdrop

He confirmed the feature is in development but didn’t specify when it will be rolled out. XRP holders will also be included in the Midnight airdrop, Cardano’s new privacy project. Earlier, he shared that the NIGHT airdrop will reach 37 million users, including XRP holders, across eight blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and XRP Ledger.

Talking about stablecoins, he mentioned that discussions with RLUSD are ongoing, hinting that Cardano might soon support Ripple’s fiat-backed stablecoin. Hoskinson added that his strong ties with Ripple’s team, especially with CTO David Schwartz David Schwartz   David Schwartz is a blockchain architect, and cryptographer, and is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Cryptographer at Ripple and a a board member and consultant at PolySign, which provides infrastructure for digital assets.   Quick Facts   Name David Schwartz Birth 1970, United States Nationality American Education Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, Texas. Marital status married to Tracey Schwartz Net worth Estimated at $1 billion (to be verified)   He is one of the key architects behind XRP Ledger (XRPL). XRPL is known for its high-speed transactions and low energy consumption compared to Proof-of-Work (PoW) blockchains. Before joining Ripple, Schwartz worked as a software engineer and cryptography expert, contributing to protected messaging and distributed methods.   David Schwartz - Career Highlights   1991 – Developed secure messaging and cryptographic systems for government and private sectors. 2011 – Co-founded OpenCoin, which later became Ripple, focusing on global payments. 2012 – Helped create the XRP Ledger (XRPL), pioneering a fast, scalable, and energy-efficient blockchain. 2018 – Became CTO of Ripple, overseeing technical innovations and blockchain research. 2021-Present – Continues leading Ripple’s expansion in cross-border payments and CBDCs, advocating for blockchain adoption in finance.   He consults startups with strategic planning, smart contracts, and consensus mechanisms. He often speaks at major blockchain seminars and engages with the XRP community.   Useful Links to Connect With David Schwartz   Platform Link X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/JoelKatz LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schwartz-ripple Ripple Website https://ripple.com Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/Ripple     Developer/ProgrammerCrypto and Blockchain Expert is speeding up their collaboration.

He also shared that Flare Network plans to bring its oracle services to Cardano, expanding the partnership beyond Ripple. 

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Chainlink Delayed Due to Codebase Issues

Coming to Chainlink, Hoskinson noted that things are still friendlier with Chainlink’s founder, Sergey Nazarov, but the partnership has not moved forward yet. Chainlink is working on a new framework for integration, but it has been delayed several times, often by three to six months.

The delays were due to Chainlink’s outdated codebase and complex updates, while noting other oracle options like Pyth Network and Flare.

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