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

The crypto exchange aims to launch $25,000 SOL derivatives, betting on institutional appetite as the token's volatility soars.

Coinbase Eyes Solana Futures Launch as It Ramps Up Derivatives Push

Alternative ride-sharing app Teleport was founded in 2022, and raised $9 million, amid a surge in interest in "dePIN" projects.

Solana-based ridesharing app Teleport is shutting down

Hedera

Coinbase is looking to list the futures as soon as Feb. 18, it said in the filing.

Coinbase Files Paperwork To List Solana, Hedera Futures

The exchange is looking to list these new contracts, which will be cash-settled on a monthly basis, on or after Feb. 2025.

Coinbase files to list Solana and Hedera futures on its derivatives trading platform

After UFC's Instagram was hacked to promote a pump-and-dump Solana meme coin scam, the attackers got away with $1.4 million in profit.

UFC Instagram Hack Pummels Buyers of Illegitimate Solana Meme Coin

The controversial Solana-based memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has deposited $407 million worth of SOL into the crypto exchange Kraken in the past year, according to the digital asset tracker Lookonchain. Lookonchain also notes that Pump.fun, which launched in January 2024, sold 264,373 SOL for $41.64 million worth of the stablecoin USDC.

Pump.fun Deposits $407,000,000 Worth of Solana (SOL) to Kraken in Last Year: Lookonchain

Ethereum

The SEC fined Kraken $30 million back in 2023 and forced it to shut down a similar staking product for U.S. customers.

Crypto Exchange Kraken Launches New Staking Business for Ethereum, Solana

"We want crypto DeFi to expand access to institutional-quality products," said Apollo Partner Christine Moy.

Apollo and BlackRock-backed Securitize launching access to tokenized credit fund on various chains like Solana, Ethereum

A Venmo co-founder, Iqram Magdon-Ismail, and early investor have launched a Solana token to support a future video app.

Venmo Founder's JELLYJELLY Solana Token Surges to $250 Million Market Cap

Peru's sol has become Latin America's most stable currency, shaking off political turmoil in the nation that's had five presidents in as many years and seen deadly protests.

Peru's dollar mountain lets sol currency shine among Latam peers

Dogecoin

The index, comprising 13 assets, aims to provide a standardized benchmark for U.S.-focused crypto investment strategies.

GMCI launches index to track US-based crypto protocols like SOL, DOGE and more

January made for an auspicious start to 2025. While policy and tax were top of mind, market action buoyed cryptocurrency markets.

Solana's Meteoric Month: Spot ETF Looms As Stablecoin Supply Soars

Cryptocurrency exchange OKX says “Solana's meteoric ascent redefined the potential of Web3,” in its 2025 “State of DEXs” report.

Report: ‘Solana Is Drinking the Ethereum Milkshake'

Bitcoin

Popular crypto wallet Phantom has launched support for Sui, which joins the likes of Solana, Bitcoin, and Ethereum in the app.

Popular Solana and Bitcoin Wallet Phantom Adds Sui Support

On-chain analytics provider Santiment data published its January report, looking back at the performance of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) and XRP (CRYPTO: XRP). What Happened: January brought extreme volatility to crypto, largely fueled by the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th U.S. president.

Bitcoin, Solana, XRP With Strong Month But Challenges Await: Report

A closely followed analyst who continues to build a following with timely crypto calls thinks Solana (SOL) is gearing up for a rally to a fresh record high. Pseudonymous trader Bluntz tells his 313,400 followers on the social media platform X that he thinks Solana has completed an ABC correction on the four-hour chart.

Analyst Says Solana en Route to New All-Time High, Outlines Potential End-of-Cycle Surge for Bitcoin

The equities market operator is seeking a green light from the SEC again after addressing concerns the regulator raised last year.

US Solana ETF Race Heats Up as Cboe BZX Submits 4 Refilings

Cboe BZX Exchange Inc. filed a fresh set of filings for firms vying for a spot Solana exchange-traded fund.

Cboe BZX files again on behalf of firms for a spot Solana ETF in an attempt to get SEC's sign-off

Unicorn Fart Dust creator Ronald Branstetter lost over $1 million in a Solana wallet hack, but says he refuses to give up on his community.

Wholesome Solana Meme Coin Dev Hacked for $1.2 Million—But Says He Won't Give Up

New cryptocurrency investors should stick to proven assets and several big meme coins, according to a prominent trader on social media. What Happened: If you're building a crypto portfolio from scratch, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) and Hyperliquid (CRYPTO: HYPE) are “must-haves,” said Altcoin Sherpa, a widely-followed trader on Tuesday on X.

Hold Bitcoin, Solana, Trump, Dogecoin If You're Starting A Portfolio Today, Says Top Trader

Igloo Inc. just launched its consumer-focused Ethereum layer-2 chain Abstract, but Pudgy Penguins assets are falling amid benefit gripes.

Pudgy Penguins Solana Token, Ethereum NFTs Plunge Alongside Abstract Network Launch

Chinese AI model DeepSeek has stolen the tech world spotlight—and unofficial Solana and Ethereum tokens are popping up to swindle traders.

Scammy DeepSeek AI Crypto Tokens Spread on Solana and Ethereum

While some view it as a positive move for long-term growth, others worry it could lead to monopolistic behavior and harm innovation in the Solana ecosystem.

Jupiter's Acquisition Spree, Buyback Plan Spark Solana Ecosystem Dominance Concerns

Cardano

Bonk

Polkadot

Chainlink

Litecoin

A leveraged ETF uses financial derivatives and debt to amplify the daily returns of the underlying security.

Tuttle Capital files for 10 leveraged crypto ETFs, including TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's $6 million AI model has rattled global global markets, with experts warning it signals a major shift in AI competition. What Happened: Speaking with Benzinga, experts suggest the Chinese startup's efficiency-focused approach is reshaping perceptions of dominance in artificial intelligence, challenging the high-cost strategies employed by US tech giants like OpenAI and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA).

News for Solana Crypto (SOL)