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

Pump.fun may be one of the most polarizing platforms in crypto, but its financials are hard to ignore. In a valuation breakdown, 10x Research concludes that the Solana (CRYPTO: SOL)-based memecoin launchpad's rumored $4 billion valuation, leaked via a now-deleted token sale page on Gate.io, still appears "relatively cheap" given its 2025 revenue performance.

Why You Should Keep An Eye On Solana Project Pump.fun's $4B Price Tag

Bonk

Over the weekend, Bonk.fun overtook Pump.fun, the popular Solana token issuer, to become the leading launchpad in the market, claiming over 55% market share. This milestone is bumping up demand for BONK, the Solana-based token at the center of its ecosystem.

Bonk.fun Grabs 55% of Solana Token Issuance Share, Pushes BONK Demand

Bitcoin

Dogecoin

Bitcoin (BTC) posted its highest-ever weekly close at nearly $110,000 on Sunday, defying a week marked by potential headwinds, including dormant whale wallets moving $8 billion in BTC, renewed tariff drama, and thin holiday liquidity.

Crypto Traders Shrug Off Dormant Bitcoin Whale Moves, With Profit-Taking on XRP, DOGE, SOL

Solana (SOL) declined 1.45% over the past 24 hours, falling from $151.41 to $149.21 between July 6 at 19:00 UTC and July 7 at 18:00 UTC, according to CoinDesk Research's technical analysis model. As for the broader crypto market as gauged by the CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), it is down 0.56% during the past 24-hour period.

Solana Matches All Other Chains Combined in Monthly Active Users, Artemis Data Shows

The road to a spot Solana (SOL) exchange-traded fund (ETF) could be much shorter than expected.

SEC Sets July Deadline for Solana ETF Refilings, Clearing Path for Pre-October Approval

Ethereum

DOGE rallied Monday after billionaire fan Elon Musk made headlines with the launch of his pro-Bitcoin America Party.

Dogecoin, Solana, Ethereum Drive Crypto Markets Higher as Bitcoin Stays Flat

The price of Solana (SOL) is in solitary confinement after breaking the 21-day SMA barrier.

Solana Faces Bullish Exhaustion And Holds Above $145

A closely followed crypto analyst is revealing bullish targets for Bitcoin (BTC) while updating his outlook on a handful of prominent altcoins.

Trader Unveils Bullish Targets on ‘Promising' Bitcoin, Updates Outlook on Ethereum, Dogecoin and Solana

Solana (SOL) declined 3.36% over the past 24 hours, retreating from $155.69 to $150.81, according to CoinDesk Research's technical analysis model, amid broader market pressures, even as institutional developments in Asia signal growing momentum for the blockchain,

Solana and Fireblocks Selected by Japan's Minna Bank for Stablecoin Use Case Study

The study will examine whether stablecoins are suitable for modernizing payments and cross-border finance in Japan.

Japan's Minna Bank Explores Stablecoins on Solana in Fireblocks-Led Study

The crypto asset manager attributed the decision to a fast-changing regulatory landscape.

Grayscale Calls SEC Trading Pause on ETF Holding Solana, XRP 'Unexpected'

Solana's on-chain fundamentals gained a major vote of confidence on Thursday as Florida-based DeFi Development Corp (DFDV) announced it had expanded its SOL SOL treasury by acquiring 17,760 additional tokens. The purchase, valued at approximately $2.72 million, was executed at an average price of $153.10 per token.

Solana Treasury Firm Expands SOL Holdings and Staking Strategy With $2.7M Purchase

This brings the Solana treasury firm's stockpile to 640,585 SOL, worth about $96 million at current prices.

DeFi Development Corp. adds 17,760 SOL to stockpile, bringing total solana holdings to $96 million

Corporate crypto treasury strategies offer substantial opportunities but also carry the risk of a damaging feedback loop, according to a Franklin Templeton Digital Assets report. What Happened: The firm noted in its report published on Wednesday the growing number of publicly traded companies adopting crypto treasury models, where businesses raise capital to purchase and hold crypto assets like Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) on their balance sheets.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana Treasury Companies Need To Manage Market Volatility, Franklin Templeton Report Warns

The fund invests in a combination of spot solana, other solana funds, and liquid staking tokens such as the popular JitoSOL. Rex Shares Rolls out First Solana Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) in the U.S.

Rex Shares Debuts First Staked Solana ETF in the US

Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk's Crypto Daybook Americas.

Asia Morning Briefing: SOL up 4% as Analysts Say Staking ETF (SSK) Has Strong Launch

The fund, which is regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and uses Anchorage as a custodian, also brought in $1 million in AUM.

First spot Solana staking ETF notches $33 million in volume on first day trading: Bloomberg's Balchunas

The SEC is expected to approve several Solana-focused ETFs this year, but the Rex-Osprey Solana + Staking ETF is the first in the U.S.

Solana Staking ETF Bags $12M in Wall Street Debut

Cardano

Though the agency greenlit the partially altcoin-exposed ETF this week, it also paused the approval until further notice.

SEC Hits Pause on Grayscale's XRP, Solana and Cardano ETF Conversion

Shares of DeFi Development Corp. (DFDV) finished the day down by 3% following its upsized convertible notes offering to buy more Solana.

Solana Treasury Firm DeFi Development Corp. Boosts Convertible Notes Offering to $112 Million

DeFi Development Corp. priced a $112.5 million private offering of convertible senior notes due 2030, primarily to acquire solana ( SOL) tokens. $112.5M Offering Prices for DeFi Dev Corp. Convertible Notes The 5.5% notes, sold to qualified institutional buyers, carry an initial conversion price of $23.11 per share.

DeFi Dev Corp. Secures Funding With $112.5M Convertible Note Sale, Aims to Purchase SOL

Defi Development Corp (DFDV), a Nasdaq-listed firm with a crypto treasury strategy focused on Solana SOL, said on Wednesday it is issuing $112.5 million in convertible notes to raise capital for a stock buyback program and more SOL purchases.

Defi Dev Hikes Convertible Note Offering to $112M for Buyback, More SOL Purchase

REX Shares and Osprey Funds have selected Anchorage Digital as the exclusive custodian and staking partner for their newly launched REX-Osprey Solana + Staking ETF (SSK), the first crypto staking exchange-traded fund (ETF) listed in the U.S.

Solana Staking ETF Opens for Trade, Becoming First Such U.S. Crypto Staking Product

A "prepaid forward" arrangement enables investors to hedge some of their risk by purchasing or selling shares when they are priced.

Solana treasury firm DeFi Development Corp disclosed $112.5 million private placement deal to fund SOL purchases

The new ETF from REX Shares and Osprey Funds is the first U.S.-listed crypto ETF to combine token exposure and staking rewards.

News for Solana Crypto (SOL)