Cardano Founder To Moderate Panel Featuring Donald Trump Jr and WLFI Founders at DC Blockchain Summit

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson is set to moderate a panel featuring Donald Trump Jr. and the founders of the Trump family-backed decentralized finance project, World Liberty Financial—Zach Witkoff, Zach Folkman, and Chase Herro—at the DC Blockchain Summit 2025.

On Wednesday, March 26, Hoskinson will moderate a panel on “Digital Liberty: Expanding Global Access to Digital Assets and DeFi,” featuring Trump Jr., Witkoff, Folkman, and Herro, according to the conference website.

The development has sparked excitement among the Cardano faithful, as many anticipate meaningful questions about the Trump administration’s plans for decentralized finance. At the same time, it may also feel like redemption for some who felt slighted by Hoskinson’s exclusion from the White House crypto summit held on March 7.

Interestingly, Hoskinson had expressed dissatisfaction after watching the White House summit, asserting that it was “time for crypto to change strategies and use the old ways,” a statement many took to mean a refocus on decentralization.

After watching that summit, I think it’s time for Crypto to change strategies pic.twitter.com/Oqi8a8Jo40

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) March 8, 2025

Input Output, the firm led by Hoskinson and the primary developers of the Cardano network, is among the biggest sponsors of the DC Blockchain Summit 2025. The summit intends to bring together government and industry leaders to address issues facing the crypto space and how the U.S. can bolster its competitiveness.

Crypto summits are likely to gain increased interest going forward, as one never knows when the president will make a cameo. On Thursday, March 20, he addressed attendees at Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit via a recording, reasserting his commitment to making the U.S. a leader in crypto.