In a recent post on X, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson shared a surprising issue revolving around identity that may apply to everyone. That’s what I was having trouble proving on social media: who I really am.
The Cardano founder was participating in a conversation in a Telegram group dedicated to Midnight. This caused participants in the group to start asking if it was really him who joined the Telegram chat.
“Wait, do you really think this is Charles?” a user asked. One person answered in the affirmative, but the other (apparently a Telegram moderator) doubted whether it was really him and asked the Cardano founder to change his name or be removed from the chat.
The Cardano founder shared a screenshot reflecting this hilarious yet alarming moment.
I’m having trouble proving to the mods that I’m Charles Hoskinson. If only there was some form of ZK system that would allow me to prove my identity via telegram… pic.twitter.com/RfVgOOhrDj
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) March 30, 2026
“I’m having trouble proving to the mods that I’m Charles Hoskinson. I wish there was some form of ZK system where I could prove my identity via telegram,” Hoskinson tweeted.
This is not surprising given the trend in the crypto industry where scammers spread false information and impersonate big names in the field in order to defraud unsuspecting victims.
Introducing ZK solution
Fraudsters often impersonate major cryptocurrency entities using images and brands on social media platforms such as X, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram. This can create a kind of defensive posture among crypto users, making them suspicious even when a real entity approaches in order to remain vigilant. This situation is further complicated by the fact that tools to verify true identity do not yet exist on social media.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson suggests a ZK solution (zero knowledge) as a solution to this problem.
Hoskinson sarcastically tweeted: “If only there was some form of ZK system where you could prove your identity via telegram.” ZK, as mentioned by the Cardano founder, forms the basis of the recently launched Midnight blockchain.
As a major development in the Cardano ecosystem, the Midnight network officially went live on March 30th. Midnight brings streamlined privacy to blockchain by using zero-knowledge proofs to protect sensitive data and developer-friendly dApp creation tools.
