- Cardano is often criticized for low mass market appeal.
- Cardano Girls video goes viral on social media.
- ADA holders hold hope for more relatable marketing.
Despite its technical prowess, Cardano has long struggled to gain mass market appeal. The reason why the project is relatively unknown to average retail investors is up for debate, but some pin the issue on subpar marketing efforts.
Nonetheless, the recent “Cardano Girls” viral phenomenon, featuring women playfully proclaiming “We’re Cardano girls” while making crypto puns, may well be the start of more relatable marketing that wins over the masses.
Cardano Girls Trending on Socials
The Cardano Girls trend kicked off with a short video posted by content creator LILY. The video featured a series of clips of women proudly declaring, “We’re Cardano girls,” followed by tongue-in-cheek crypto references such as, “Of course, we have Charles as our phone wallpaper.”
The playful video underscored the growing number of women entering the cryptocurrency space. Data from CoinCover showed that the percentage of women who own crypto is up to 29% at the start of 2024, from 18% the year prior.
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At the time of publishing, the Cardano Girls post is closing in on 900 comments and 1 million views, clearly resonating with the crypto community while fostering lively discussion.
Digital artist Atreyu praised the work, tweeting “This is really what Cardano needs. Something fresh that stirs the pot. Great f***ing work!!” Meanwhile, NFT marketplace JPG Store commented on the coincidental positive price effect of the viral video, adding “so bullish on all the cardano girls.”
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However, not all the reactions have been positive. Longtime Cardano critic and YouTuber Alex Becker commented, “I don’t think I’m capable of responding to this without getting booted off Twitter.” Crypto influencer Peter McCormack went a step further, initially tweeting, “I’m leaving Planet Earth” in response to the video before doubling down with “They will use this as torture at Guantanamo Bay.”
While the Cardano Girls video drew some harsh reactions from critics, the underlying issue of Cardano’s lackluster marketing efforts is one that even fans of the project acknowledge.
Subpar Marketing
Cardano has long faced criticism over its unrelatable marketing efforts not keeping pace with its ambitious technical roadmap. Rick McCracken, who runs the DIGI staking pool, recently ran a survey gauging the community’s thoughts on Cardano’s marketing impact. With two days still left at the time of writing, a majority of 68% of respondents felt Cardano’s efforts were worse compared to other large-cap projects.
The issue has been compounded by Solana’s recent runaway success, which saw SOL briefly take the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap (excluding stablecoins) following a stellar period of strong price appreciation.
Seeking answers, McCracken asked X what Solana was doing better than Cardano. The feedback highlighted points, including Solana’s stablecoin support and better integration into broader platforms, with Cardano’s inadequate marketing as a recurring theme.
This aligns with a 2022 comment from Mark Cuban, who described Cardano as an insulated project with low visibility outside of the ADA silo, unlike Ethereum, Matic (now Polygon), and Flow.
On the Flipside
- LILY revealed that the video was a “fun quick joke,” suggesting it was a grassroots, organic effort.
- The rise of influencers and viral trends underscores cryptos‘ transition into mainstream consciousness.
Why This Matters
The Cardano Girls craze encapsulates the crypto industry’s growing pains as it sheds its niche, male-dominated roots. While the trend pokes fun, it also highlights the lack of gender diversity that could stifle greater adoption. As this instance shows, creativity and fun can go a long way in fueling momentum.
Read about Binance’s bid to make crypto more inclusive here:
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