Solana Co-founder Toly Reflects on Founding Father John Adams
Solana co-founder Toly reflects on American founding father John Adams: He defended British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, yet firmly supported the independence cause, being one of the main drafters and signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Adams later went to Europe to seek military alliances with France and financial support from the Netherlands. Upon returning, he participated in drafting the Massachusetts Constitution, served as Vice President and President, and died on July 4, 1826—on the 50th anniversary of American independence.
In market mechanisms, the crypto community and entrepreneurs focus on the strategic wisdom and principles of historical leaders, shifting attention from short-term speculation to long-termism and institutional building. This sharing drives capital and talent towards projects with clear values and execution capabilities.
Source: Public Information
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toly, as a co-founder of Solana, continues his long-standing style of conveying values through historical figures by sharing the story of John Adams, emphasizing the complexity of "being steadfast on principle while daring to defend the unpopular side," which aligns with Solana's commitment to its technical path amidst controversies.
On the capital front, toly strengthens community cohesion through historical narratives, positioning Solana as a representative of "long-termism + execution capability," aiming to attract builders and capital that resonate with principles and resilience, thereby building a cultural moat for Solana in multi-chain competition.
Similar cases include Vitalik's frequent references to history and philosophy, as well as institutions like a16z using historical analogies to articulate the crypto vision. The current crypto industry is transitioning from pure technical competition to a dual-driven model of "technology + values."
Essentially, this represents capital concentration: the short-term speculative culture is being replaced by long-termism and principled leadership. The underlying mechanism is the industry's need for resilience across cycles; only by establishing clear values and a sense of historical depth can it attract top talent and capital, achieving a structural shift from price-driven to civilization-level infrastructure.
ABAB News · Law of Cognition
True leaders dare to defend their opponents but never abandon their principles. The most valuable aspect of history is not victory, but the persistence that is remembered 50 years later. When founders tell the stories of the founding fathers, they are often establishing a value moat for their projects.