Solana

Solana is an open source project implementing a new, high-performance, permissionless blockchain. Solana is a general purpose blockchain similar to Ethereum. End user applications as of now include decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFT), marketplaces, games, and more. It aims to improve scalability by introducing a proof-of-history (PoH) consensus combined with the underlying proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus of the blockchain.

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko published a whitepaper describing Proof of History, a technique that would become critical to Solana's blockchain infrastructure, in Nov. 2017. 

Co-founder Greg Fitzgerald, who had worked with Yakovenko at Qualcomm, began prototyping the open source implementation of the whitepaper. It was published under the name Silk in 2018. 

After starting the company under the name Loom, Yakovenko, Fitzgerald, and other co-founders rebranded to Solana. Solana launched on Mainnet Beta in March 2020.

Solana was built to facilitate the development of scalable, user-friendly decentralized apps with low costs and high speeds for transactions.

Solana believes its unique blockchain architecture that combines the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism and its own proof of history mechanism is the key to achieving these goals.

Proof of history works almost like a cryptographic timestamp that proves that an event has occurred at a specific time. It enables the blockchain to work fast while maintaining security and decentralization.

There are about 304 million SOL in circulation as of November 2021. Solana has an initial inflation rate of 8%, which will decrease by 15% a year until it reaches a long-term inflation rate of 1.5%. SOL is Solana’s native token.

Solana competes with other blockchain platforms such as Ethereum and Avalanche to host crypto projects such as NFTs, decentralized exchanges, and gaming. 

Developers and users flocked from Ethereum to Solana due to high transaction costs, but many could gravitate back towards Ethereum if it manages to lower costs, which could happen as a result of the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade and layer 2 rollups. 

Solana.com
Docs.solana.com/history
Forums.solana.com

Solana's 2025 has proven that its builders and its culture continue to keep its ecosystem in crypto's cultural zeitgeist.

Most Influential: The Solana Developers

Cardano

Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) founder Charles Hoskinson accused U.S. policymakers of lacking objective, data-driven standards when favoring select cryptocurrencies such as ADA, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL). Hoskinson Questions Government Crypto Selection Logic Cardano founder argued in an appearance on Decrypt Media that governments should not be making discretionary decisions about which cryptocurrencies belong in official systems without transparent, data-driven standards.

Cardano's Hoskinson Says US Crypto Picks Show 'Zero Objectivity' On ADA, XRP, Solana

Aptos

Developers have begun testing new cryptography to guard against forged transactions and wallet theft, in preparation for a changing world.

Solana, Aptos Move to Harden Blockchains Against Future Quantum Attacks

The firm holds about 6.8 million SOL tokens, more than the next three largest SOL DATs combined, according to The Block's SOL treasury data.

Leading Solana treasury Forward Industries tokenized FWDI stock via Superstate

Pump.fun

Jarett Dunn, a former developer at Pump.fun, drained $2 million from his then-employer and sent funds to random addresses.

Former Pump.fun Dev Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for $2 Million Solana Fraud

Bitcoin

Ethereum

Asset management firm Bitwise expects 2026 to be a breakout year for crypto, with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) all pushing to new all-time highs as institutional forces reshape the market. What Happened: In its 2026 Outlook, Bitwise argues the traditional four-year crypto cycle is fading.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana To Hit All-Time Highs In 2026, Bitwise Predicts

Coinbase is rolling out stock trading, prediction markets via Kalshi, Solana DEX trading through Jupiter, custom stablecoins and more.

Coinbase expands into stocks, prediction markets, Solana DEX trading via Jupiter, and more in ‘everything exchange' push

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) all moved sharply lower on Wednesday as multiple chart breakdowns signaled that the ongoing selloff may not be finished yet. XRP Breaks Down Below Key Value Area Price Prediction for XRP on TradingView XRP is down around 3.5%, following a decisive daily breakdown that keeps price pinned against long-term ascending support.

XRP, ADA, SOL Slide Drop 3% As Charts Warn That Selloff Isn't Finished Yet

Prices may be down across all of crypto, but Solana and its ecosystem keep on shipping.

Solana News: Best of Breakpoint 2025! Mega DDoS Attack Thwarted

A federal judge in New York has cleared the way for plaintiffs to expand their class-action lawsuit against Pump.fun, Solana Labs, the Solana Foundation, and Jito Labs, allowing new allegations tied to alleged insider advantages in token launches to move forward. Solana Labs, Solana Foundation and Jito Named in Expanded Pump.

New York Judge Allows Expanded Claims in Pump.fun and Solana Class-Action Case

Bitcoin and ether ETFs extended their losing streak as large redemptions dominated another risk-off session. In contrast, solana and XRP quietly absorbed fresh inflows, underscoring selective investor appetite. Risk-off Mood Persists With Heavy Bitcoin and Ether ETF Redemptions Selling pressure remained firmly in control as crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) pushed deeper into the red.

Bitcoin, Ether ETFs Outflows Deepen as Solana and XRP Stay Resilient

USDC

Visa just launched stablecoin settlement in the US using Circle's dollar-pegged digital asset USDC. The move allows US issuer and acquirer partners to settle transactions on the blockchain, starting with the Solana network. The move marks a key step in Visa's pilot program to integrate stablecoins into global commerce. Visa's U.S.

Visa Rolls Out Stablecoin Settlements in US, Powered by USDC on Solana

Anthony Scaramucci, CEO of investment firm SkyBridge Capital, said at a recent event that Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)-powered asset tokenization has the potential to reduce transaction verification costs by up to 75% annually. Scaramucci Builds Case For Solana-Enabled Tokenization Speaking at the LONGITIDE event in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 11, Scaramucci estimated that global transaction verification costs $4 trillion a year, including credit card fees and wire fees.

Anthony Scaramucci Says The World Spends $4 Trillion A Year Verifying Transactions And Solana Could Slash That Cost By 75%

Charles Schwab quietly widened regulated crypto exposure by adding solana-linked futures to its trading platform, signaling deeper integration of digital asset derivatives into mainstream brokerage accounts without requiring direct cryptocurrency ownership. Regulated Solana Futures Enter Schwab Platform, Expanding Leverage-Based Crypto Exposure A major brokerage broadened crypto-linked derivatives access within its trading ecosystem. Charles Schwab Corp.

Charles Schwab Widens Regulated Crypto Exposure With Solana Futures Inside Brokerage Accounts

CME Group broadened its regulated cryptocurrency lineup, adding new spot-quoted futures that deepen access to digital assets and reflect growing demand for flexible, compliant trading tied closely to market pricing.

XRP and SOL Enter the Big Leagues With CME Group's Latest Futures Launch

Solana's (SOL) price has remained stable above the $120 support level since November 21.

Coinidol.com: Solana Remains Steady Above the $120 Mark

Visa is expanding its stablecoin settlements to the U.S. using USDC for settlement on the Solana blockchain with its first two partners.

Visa Begins US Stablecoin Settlement via USDC on Solana

Visa has opened stablecoin settlement to U.S. banks using Circle's USDC on Solana, as institutional interest in crypto rails accelerates.

Visa launches stablecoin settlement in US via Circle's USDC on Solana

Bitcoin and ether ETFs opened the week under pressure as broad outflows returned, while solana and XRP continued to draw fresh capital. The split highlights a cautious market rotation rather than a full retreat from digital asset exposure.

Bitcoin, Ether ETFs See Heavy Outflows as Solana and XRP Stay Green

CME Group just launched spot-quoted XRP and Solana (SOL) futures, expanding its crypto offerings. The Chicago-based derivatives marketplace says it introduced the new contracts to meet growing demand from traders. The new futures are listed on CME and CBOT, complementing existing spot-quoted Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) products.

CME Group Launches Spot-Quoted Futures for XRP and Solana

The debut will enable instant swaps between SGD and USD on Solana, facilitating digital forex trading.

StraitX to debut Singapore and U.S. dollar stablecoins on Solana for quick currency exchange

Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) regained momentum during the second week of December, with bitcoin and ether snapping recent volatility to post solid weekly inflows. Solana and XRP extended their streaks, underscoring selective but resilient investor demand.

ETF Weekly Recap: Bitcoin and Ether Rebound, Solana and XRP Extend Inflow Streaks

Popular Ethereum wallet MetaMask has added support for Bitcoin, expanding more broadly ahead of its planned token launch.

Crypto Wallet MetaMask Expands From Ethereum and Solana to Bitcoin

These are CME's smallest crypto contracts to date, aimed at active participants who prefer to trade in spot market terms without managing contract expiries or rollovers.

CME Group Expands Crypto Derivatives With Spot-Quoted XRP and Solana Futures

The platform will enable 24/7 trading of U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds with near-instant settlement, building on Ondo's existing $365 million in tokenized assets.

News for Solana Crypto (SOL)