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

Branded as “the most unhinged platform on the internet,” Dare Markets has raised $2 million in funding to fuel wild stunts with crypto.

Dare Me? This Solana Project Is Paying Out Crypto for Hilarious Stunts

Bitcoin

Ethereum

Grayscale's new U.S. spot Solana ETF, GSOL, registered $1.4 million in net inflows on its Oct. 29 trading debut.

Grayscale spot Solana ETF sees $1.4M inflows on debut as over $500M exits Bitcoin and Ethereum funds

Bitwise's Solana ETF roared into 2025 with the year's most dominant debut, with day two trading skyrocketing past launch levels as investors rushed toward Solana exposure, staking rewards, and accelerating institutional crypto adoption.

Solana ETF by Bitwise Dominates 2025 Launches—and Day 2 Blows Past Expectations

Solana's explosive momentum just hit a new milestone as Grayscale's Solana Trust ETF begins trading on NYSE Arca, giving institutions direct, staking-enabled exposure to one of crypto's fastest-growing blockchain ecosystems and signaling unstoppable mainstream adoption.

Grayscale Unleashes Solana ETF With Staking—77% Yield Storm Hits US Markets

The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF's $56 million day-one volume was the most among nearly 850 ETF launches this year.

‘Huge number': Bitwise's Solana ETF crosses $70 million in volume on second day

President Trump appears to be easing his trade war for now, helping his Solana meme coin pump amid what an analyst called a “relief rally.”

President Trump's Solana Meme Coin Is Hot Again, Jumping 46% Amid 'Relief Rally'

Solana Bounces But Stalls Below $200

Solana Company said Wednesday that its solana ( SOL) holdings have increased to more than 2.3 million tokens, marking an addition of roughly 1 million SOL since early October. The firm also reported an average gross staking yield of 7.

Solana Company Expands SOL Position, Claims Higher-Than-Average Staking Returns

The following article is adapted from The Block's newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

The Daily: Visa adding support for four stablecoins, Bitwise spot Solana ETF sees $69.5 million inflows on debut, and more

Bitcoin and ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued their strong momentum on Tuesday, pulling in a combined $448 million in inflows. The day also marked a historic debut for Solana ETFs, with Bitwise's BSOL smashing records for a first-day launch.

Bitcoin and Ether Extend Streak With $448 Million Inflow as Solana ETF Debuts

Public firms now hold about 16 million SOL, with corporate treasuries continuing to expand across the ecosystem.

Solana Company adds $20 million in SOL, touts 7% yield as institutional staking funds hit the market

Bonk

BONK-USD extended its slide Tuesday, falling 3.4% to $0.0000143 as the Solana-based meme token succumbed to renewed downard pressure across the broader ecosystem.

BONK Tests Support as Volume Surges 122% in Solana Selloff

Grayscale Investments has launched the Grayscale Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) Trust ETF (GSOL), its first staking-enabled product to uplist under the SEC's new ETP listing standards. What Happened: GSOL offers investors exposure to Solana, though it isn't a direct investment in the token and is not regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940, meaning it carries higher risk than traditional ETFs.

Grayscale Launches Solana Staking ETF Under New SEC Framework

Headlining a blockbuster day for Solana, which has a record-setting debut for its shiny new staking ETF as well.

Morning Minute: Western Union Chooses Solana for Stablecoin

Grayscale Investments is the latest firm to launch an exchange-traded fund tracking the price of Solana and including staking.

Grayscale debuts Solana staking ETF, as crypto firms push ahead despite government shutdown

Hedera

Litecoin

Bitwise's BSOL generated $57.9 million in volume on its first trading day — the most of any ETF launch this year.

Bitwise spot Solana ETF draws $69.5 million on debut as new HBAR and Litecoin funds see zero flows

The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) began trading Oct. 28; Bitwise said first-day trading volume was $55.4M with $217.2M AUM, targeting 100% staked exposure and seeking to maximize around 7% average staking rewards.

Bitwise Says Its Solana Staking ETF (BSOL) Had a 'Big First Day'; GSOL to List on NYSE

The CME-listed futures tied to XRP$2.6304 and Solana SOL$195.64 saw record open interest Monday in a sign of consistent demand for regulated products.

XRP and SOL Futures Open Interest on CME Hits Record High

The strong early inflows suggest institutions are favoring Bitwise's direct staking model as Solana ETFs start gaining traction.

Bitwise's Solana ETF Draws $69.5M on Debut, Outpacing Rival Fund's Launch

Hedera, Solana and Litecoin struggled to gain momentum following the debut of their first spot exchange-traded funds on Wall Street on Tuesday. Bullish Sentiment Fades SOL, the sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, fell over 3% in the last 24 hours, with trading volume jumping 25%.

Solana Slips Even As Spot ETF Posts Strong Volume On First Day: Litecoin, HBAR Fail To Impress Wall Street

Crypto just hit a new gear as three groundbreaking spot ETFs—focused on SOL, HBAR, and LTC—launched under the 1933 Act, unleashing regulated access to top digital assets and igniting a surge of institutional enthusiasm across markets.

SOL, HBAR, LTC ETFs Begin Trading in US, Marking New Era for Regulated Crypto Access

The first ETFs to track the spot price of Litecoin and HBAR made their debuts Tuesday, along with a new staked SOL fund.

New crypto ETFs tracking Litecoin, Hedera and Solana generate $65 million in day-one trading volume

This shift was likely caused by many factors in market appetite, user preferences, and structural changes that significantly impacted flows.

Hyperliquid and BNB Chain capture majority of L1 fees as Solana fades amid derivatives boom

Western Union plans to launch a stablecoin called the U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) for its payment network next year.

Western Union to Launch Stablecoin on Solana With Anchorage Digital

Payments giant Western Union (NYSE:WU) is making a major leap into crypto, announcing plans to launch a U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin, USDPT, on the Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) blockchain in the first half of 2026. What Happened: The stablecoin will be issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and aims to provide faster, cheaper cross-border transfers for Western Union's 100 million global customers while minimizing currency volatility, the Wall Street Journal reported.

News for Solana Crypto (SOL)