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There is a lot of talk going on about Solana since a video promoting its upcoming Accelerate conference in New York came out.

The ad, which aired on March 17, was quickly taken down because it made fun of gender identity problems, sparking widespread criticism.

Ad Criticized For Insensitivity

The video depicted a character named “America” who was undergoing therapy; the character said he was having thoughts about “innovation.”

The therapist recommended that the subject concentrate on pronouns or the development of new genders rather than pursing technological innovation, like crypto, during the session.

“America” answered by stating a wish to “invent technologies, not genders.”

The look of disappointment from some individuals. Image: Gemini Imagen.

Critics have labeled the commercial as “offensive” and “tone-deaf,” some of which call it disrespectful to transgender and gender minorities.

Took them 9 hours to delete it.

Also all the major players in the Solana ecosystem suddenly delete their tweets promoting/supporting the ad and RT’d and liked takes about it being bad.

They approved this, supported it and celebrated it.

They rolled it back because it hurt… pic.twitter.com/kPMERDpTcn

— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) March 18, 2025

Corporate executives voiced their criticism. Former Solana Foundation director David McIntyre argued that while Adam Cochran of Cinneamhain Ventures called the advertising “justly absurd,” the platform should have given positive messaging top priority over mocking important societal issues.

Sean O’Connor, operating chief at Web3 infrastructure firm Blocknative, did not mince words and unloaded an explicit message on X:

hey @solana – for real?

at a time when trans people are getting denied passports and being erased by the government… this is the ad you put out?

this is so fucking tone deaf https://t.co/p2hF5jIb9c

— sean o’connor | gas network ⛽ (@aseoconnor) March 17, 2025

Controversy Casts Doubt On Solana’s Values

The controversy has prompted inquiries regarding Solana’s ability to adhere to its stated principles. Just weeks prior, the Solana Foundation underscored the importance of diversity and inclusion at a conference in Singapore.

SOL market cap currently at $63 billion. Chart: TradingView.com

Its code of conduct explicitly safeguarded participants from harassment based on gender identity and expression. Currently, observers are debating whether the advertisement represents a strategic transition or an isolated gaffe by the organization.

Solana has not yet issued an official statement that elucidates the reason for the video’s removal. Critics contend that the decision to eliminate it was reactive rather than indicative of ethical reflection.

I deleted my initial take on the Solana ad today after some reflection.

At first I liked the ad because it struck a chord with me. I believe a whole generation of people was taught to focus on zero sum oppressor oppressed world views rather than positive sum techno…

— Tushar Jain (@TusharJain_) March 18, 2025

Industry Leaders Withdraw Their Support

Subsequently, certain initial supporters of the advertisement withdrew their endorsements. Initially, Tushar Jain, co-founder of Multicoin Capital, commended the video as “bold.” However, he later deleted his post and acknowledged that it alienated certain members of the community.

This incident underscores the increasing tensions within the crypto industry regarding political messaging and cultural commentary.

Featured image from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView

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Top crypto analysts across the globe recently rattled the broader market by forecasting a highly bullish outlook for Pepe Coin price. Amid an ongoing 22% weekly price rally, analysts like Ali Martinez, CryptoELITES, and World of Charts have predicted that a phenomenal bullish breakout for PEPE looms.

While one spotlights the potential for 40x gains, others reveal a bull run awaits, and thus 50%-60% pump looms. These bullish projections echoed an optimistic market buzz after the recent market turmoil, which slammed PEPE price by nearly 30% over the month.

Top Analysts Predict Pepe Coin Price Eyes Bullish Breakout

Crypto analyst ‘Ali Martinez’ took to X on March 18, stating that Pepe Coin’s price is eyeing a bullish breakout. As per the analyst, the meme coin has been shaping an inverse head and shoulders pattern on the hourly chart since the start of the month.

This formation embodies a key neckline resistance at the $0.0000075 price level. Further, the analyst reveals that the meme coin’s price formed a part of the right shoulder with its price action in the last 24 hours. Now, a sustained break above the mentioned neckline resistance could trigger a phenomenal 40% price upswing.

For those wondering, the inverse head and shoulders pattern is a formation on the price chart that suggests a potential reversal from a downtrend to an uptrend. Traders and investors usually anticipate gains in the wake of this formation, proving to be bullish news.

Has PEPE Price Already Bottomed?

Simultaneously, analyst ‘CryptoELITES’ took to X, stating that Pepe Coin price confirmed a bottom at $0.0000069834. The analyst called the dip, whilst the current price is already considerably up from this level.

At the time of reporting, PEPE token’s price traded at $0.000007181, soaring 6% intraday. The meme coin hit an intraday high of $0.000007582, briefly breaking the neckline resistance spotlighted by Ali Martinez.

While this action garners investor bullishness, analyst CryptoELITES believes that the pump is just the start, whereas a 40X target is right over the horizon.

Other Analysts Join The Fray

Simultaneously, analyst ‘World of Charts’ revealed on X that the frog-themed meme coin is trading in crucial areas while also spotlighting an inverse head and shoulders pattern. This forecast primarily added to market optimism as the analyst expects a 50-60% bullish rally after a successful breakout from similar resistance levels near $0.000007.

As a result, crypto market participants weigh significant optimism on Pepe Coin price amid renowned analysts’ bullish predictions. In addition, a PEPE price analysis by CoinGape also spotlights the same pattern, cementing investor sentiments of a bull run.

Market Dynamic Already Optimistic?

The meme coin is already up nearly 22% over the past week, per CoinMarketCap. Further gains remain awaited in light of the bullish predictions and an ongoing recovery sentiment brewing right ahead of the U.S. FOMC.

Coinglass data signaled renewed market interest in the asset amid the bullish predictions. The crypto’s futures OI rose by over 8% to $237.90 million recently. Further, the derivatives volume shot up by nearly 16% to $627.05 million.

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Coingape Staff

CoinGape comprises an experienced team of native content writers and editors working round the clock to cover news globally and present news as a fact rather than an opinion. CoinGape writers and reporters contributed to this article.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.