Latest news with #Firedancer
Crypto Insight
5 days ago
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Firedancer will speed up Solana, but it won't reach full potential
Solana's next-generation validator client, Firedancer, may not reach full speed on the network it was built for as technical limits push developers to test it elsewhere. One of those developers is Douglas Colkitt, a former high-frequency trader who's testing a hybrid validator setup called Frankendancer on Fogo, a Solana-compatible chain built to remove the constraints that currently prevent Firedancer from reaching its full potential on Solana. Colkitt, a founding contributor at Fogo, said the new blockchain isn't trying to replace Solana but does discard some of Solana's core assumptions, such as globally distributed validator sets, to showcase how far Firedancer can go when speed takes priority over decentralization. The push to run Firedancer outside Solana highlights a deeper split in blockchain infrastructure: the tension between decentralization and speed. These two have long been trade-offs, but more builders are now choosing to prioritize speed. Why Firedancer can't go full speed on Solana yet Jump Trading developed Firedancer, a high-performance validator client aimed at boosting Solana's throughput and reducing latency. But according to Colkitt, Solana's architecture includes technical constraints that limit how fast Firedancer can operate in practice. 'If you have two clients running on the same network, you can only go as fast as the slowest client because otherwise the network risks halting,' he told Cointelegraph. 'It's like driving a Ferrari in city traffic — no matter how fast the car is, you're limited by the speed of the other vehicles around you.' Solana currently supports two main validator client implementations: Agave and Firedancer. Agave is running on about 90% of validators as of Friday. Meanwhile, Firedancer is still in a transitional phase as Frankendancer, a hybrid combining Agave and Firedancer. It accounts for about 10% of validators, up from 7% in April. Frankendancer's hybrid approach allows for a gradual adoption of Firedancer's improvements without risking network stability. Solana's network relies on a globally distributed set of validators. This geographic decentralization strengthens security by preventing any single party or region from gaining excessive control. It also enhances censorship resistance and resilience against localized outages or attacks. This also means that decentralization comes with performance trade-offs. Data and consensus messages must travel long distances, resulting in unavoidable network latency. Even with optimized software like Frankendancer and the fastest hardware, Solana's block time remains around 400 milliseconds. 'Trading firms absolutely need something faster than 400 milliseconds. If you have events like a [Federal Reserve] announcement or nonfarm payrolls, you want to be closer to that data to trade off of it,' Colkitt said. Solana is also working to reduce latency. On Thursday, the Solana Foundation unveiled a roadmap aiming to establish the 'Internet Capital Market' by 2027, targeting millisecond-level control over transaction ordering in smart contracts. Firedancer's real-world test outside Solana Colkitt traces his entry into crypto back to 'DeFi Summer.' He was working on an automated market maker project on Ethereum and its emerging rollups. 'The Ethereum chains weren't sufficient for what we wanted to do,' Colkitt said, explaining why he left the Ethereum ecosystem in search of alternatives better suited for high-frequency trading. 'We spent a lot more time playing politics — which L2 do we go to? How do we get L2 support? — that kind of distracted from building the core products.' This fragmentation held back innovation compared to the simplicity and unified liquidity of early Ethereum, Colkitt said, which was more apparent in Solana. However, Solana is still relatively young. It produced its first block in March 2020. Traditional financial institutions are slower in embracing newer blockchain platforms like Solana, Colkitt said, adding that banks still remain comfortable primarily within Ethereum-compatible ecosystems. On the demand side, Colkitt pointed to projects like Hyperliquid, which push the limits of current blockchain infrastructure. 'Hyperliquid owns 90% plus of the market in decentralized perpetuals trading,' he noted. 'But that kind of ultra-low latency, high-throughput trading experience just doesn't reliably work on Solana today because of block times and network stability.' Fogo, which launched its testnet on Tuesday, uses Solana-based technology to compete with chains like Hyperliquid. Built on the Solana Virtual Machine, it is compatible with projects currently running on Solana. Fogo currently runs on Frankendancer, with plans to transition fully to Firedancer when ready, unlocking the validator client's full potential. When asked about the timeline, Colkitt gave a 'very rough guess' of the end of this year. Fogo is targeting its mainnet launch in September. Firedancer's true potential outside Solana Next-generation low-latency networks like Fogo and Hyperliquid are pushing the boundaries to match the speed demands of modern trading. Projects like MegaETH also promise near-instant transactions, targeting emerging sectors such as decentralized physical infrastructure nextworks that require real-time execution. What unites these chains is a willingness to make trade-offs, dialing back decentralization to scale. Fogo intentionally reduces the geographic distribution of validators to gain this speed advantage. 'What we're doing with Fogo is spinning up validator nodes in a few key global locations — Tokyo, London and New York — to reduce latency between them,' he said. 'By co-locating validators closer together geographically, we can push Firedancer to achieve much faster block times than Solana's globally distributed validator set allows.' This trade-off sets the stage for an important experiment. Firedancer's true potential will likely never be fully unlocked on Solana itself, a network that remains constrained by its global validator set and commitment to decentralization. Instead, the testbed for what ultra-fast, high-performance blockchain infrastructure can truly achieve comes at the cost of decentralization. However, Solana is not standing still. Its recently unveiled 2027 roadmap aims to bring the blockchain closer to traditional finance standards. Source:
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Solana set to soar? Analysts eye $300+ rally as ETF buzz and inflows hit fever pitch
What's driving Solana's recent rally? ETF buzz is hitting a fever pitch. Odds for a U.S. spot Solana ETF approval are now above 99%, according to prediction markets. New staking-backed Solana ETF products, like those by REX Shares, have already seen tens of millions in inflows. Institutional interest is building fast, especially as analysts expect official ETF approvals by late 2025. Why are investors watching the Solana ETF approval so closely? Live Events How has Solana performed historically? Monthly low : ~$126 : ~$126 Monthly high : ~$178 : ~$178 Current average : ~$152 : ~$152 Year-to-date high: ~$268 in January 2025 What are the charts saying about Solana? A bull flag pattern has emerged, often a precursor to strong upward moves. has emerged, often a precursor to strong upward moves. SOL just broke past the $170 resistance zone , which includes both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages. , which includes both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Next key resistance levels: $200, then $265, and potentially $300 if bullish volume keeps climbing. Is Solana price gearing up for a major rally? What are analysts predicting for Solana short-term? CoinCodex forecasts a move to $173 by early August, a modest gain—but this could be conservative. forecasts a move to by early August, a modest gain—but this could be conservative. Other analysts, including those at Mitrade and 21Shares , are eyeing a near-term surge toward $200–$300 , especially if ETF-related momentum continues. and , are eyeing a near-term surge toward , especially if ETF-related momentum continues. Some bullish forecasts even hint at $2,000 over the long term, though that would likely require several major catalysts beyond ETFs. Could Solana really hit $300 or more in 2025? ETF approvals by the SEC could be a game-changer for price discovery. by the SEC could be a game-changer for price discovery. Solana's Firedancer upgrade is expected to massively scale network performance by year-end. is expected to massively scale network performance by year-end. Solana's phone and mobile stack are helping expand use cases and developer interest. What do long-term predictions look like for SOL? Base Case : Solana matures into a major DeFi and Web3 hub, sustaining prices between $300–$500 . : Solana matures into a major DeFi and Web3 hub, sustaining prices between . Bull Case : SOL adoption explodes with institutional backing, leading to prices above $1,000 . : SOL adoption explodes with institutional backing, leading to prices . Bear Case: Network issues or stronger Layer-1 competition (like Ethereum or Avalanche) could limit growth and keep SOL under $200. What's driving institutional interest in Solana? How strong is Solana's ecosystem performance? Are there any risks holding Solana back? Network outages have haunted Solana in the past, raising reliability questions. have haunted Solana in the past, raising reliability questions. If support at $145 fails, analysts warn of a drop to $120 or lower. fails, analysts warn of a drop to or lower. Macro trends, like interest rates or global regulations, could cool down ETF hype quickly. What's next for Solana (SOL) price and adoption? FAQs: (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Solana (SOL) is making headlines once again. With the price consolidating between $160 and $170, the buzz around a potential breakout is growing louder. At the same time, institutional interest is picking up serious momentum—driven in part by the surging odds of a spot Solana ETF approval, which now stand at a staggering 99% on some prediction markets. From major asset managers racing to file applications with the SEC to strong on-chain growth and fresh buying from big-name firms, Solana's momentum seems to be building from multiple fronts. Let's break it all of today, Solana is trading around, marking a strongand nearly. What's behind the sudden momentum?All signs are pointing toward a growing appetite for SOL exposure from both retail and Wall biggest headline lately? The REX-Osprey spot Solana ETF has already pulled in $73 million in inflows since its launch. That's not a small number. It shows growing confidence among institutional investors in Solana's long-term potential. What's more, prediction markets now place the odds of SEC approval for a Solana ETF at 99% before the end of asset managers like VanEck, Grayscale, Bitwise, 21Shares, Galaxy Digital, and Invesco are all in the game, filing paperwork and lining up for approval. The SEC has reportedly urged issuers to quickly resubmit documents, adding to the speculation that a green light may come sooner than at Bloomberg are already forecasting that Solana may soon join Bitcoin and Ethereum as one of the only cryptocurrencies with a U.S.-based spot ETF, and not just that—a staking-based ETF may also be on the horizon. That would be a first in the U.S., opening up a whole new category of crypto investment at the past month (June 17 – July 17, 2025), SOL has been climbing steadily:Despite today's strength, Solana is still down roughly, which gives plenty of room for potential upside if momentum Solana is flashing major bullish signals:Analysts suggest that if SOL holds above, a rally to $300 could unfold in a matter of a technical standpoint, Solana's chart looks promising. Analysts are pointing to a classic cup-and-handle pattern—a bullish indicator formed over the past two years. After the crash that followed FTX's collapse in 2022, Solana rebounded strongly in 2023 and even reached $294 in January level triggered some short-term selling, forming the "handle" part of the pattern. But now, Solana appears to be testing the resistance of a falling channel, and if it breaks out, the next targets could be have marked out the 161.8% Fibonacci extension, projecting a long-term price target of $2,700. But to get there, Solana must first retake its previous high of $294, followed by major resistance at $787 and $1,314. Still, with rising spot and derivatives volume, increasing open interest, and ETF news swirling, many believe a rally could be around the what experts are saying about where SOL could head next:Yes—many believe $300 is not only possible, but probable. Here's what they're watching:Combine these with rising trading volume and macro interest in Layer-1 platforms, and it's no wonder analysts are further ahead into 2026–2030, here's what experts see:Still, most forecasts remain confident that Solana will be among the top performers of the next crypto buyers aren't just talking—they're buying. DeFi Development Corp, for example, recently added over 153,000 SOL tokens to its portfolio. That's a major bet, and it places the firm among the largest holders of the same time, Click Holdings and BIT Mining, both Nasdaq-listed companies, have publicly announced plans to add Solana to their corporate treasuries, showing how crypto is increasingly becoming part of mainstream appeal also lies in its strong ecosystem growth. It has now crossed $4 billion in total deposits, with daily DEX volumes reaching $3.15 billion, ranking it second among all blockchains. That level of on-chain activity suggests deep, consistent usage—not just more than just price action happening here. Solana's Q2 on-chain revenue hit $570 million, which makes up about 46% of total network revenue across all chains. That's a massive share, highlighting how active and valuable the Solana ecosystem has platform has also launched its Realms v2 upgrade, which enhances DAO governance by making voting more transparent and improving treasury management tools—crucial for long-term even inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Kazakhstan's government, aimed at promoting blockchain innovation in the region. These moves are helping Solana gain international recognition as a serious blockchain infrastructure course—no rally comes without risks. Here are the main ones:Still, bulls believe those concerns are priced in—and that Solana has matured significantly since its earlier growing its market cap now above $89 billion—surpassing even Ferrari—Solana has clearly gained massive investor attention. The cryptocurrency is no longer just a speculative asset; it's becoming a part of institutional portfolios, government partnerships, and advanced DeFi it's the imminent ETF approval, technical breakout potential, or surging ecosystem growth, Solana seems well-positioned for the next big move. The only question left: Will it break through the $294 barrier soon, or will investors need to wait a bit longer for liftoff?One thing's certain—all eyes are on Solana, and it's not just the crypto crowd watching this time. Solana ETF approval odds have reached 99%, with several firms awaiting SEC analysts predict SOL could hit $300–$331 if it breaks current resistance levels.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will a $10,000 Investment in Solana Turn Into $1 Million by 2035?
Solana is gaining traction with asset managers and crypto app developers. Its price has a habit of going up sharply over time. But a lot needs to go right for it to deliver a truly gargantuan return in 10 years. 10 stocks we like better than Solana › Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) has already delivered life-changing returns for its earliest believers, so it is only natural to wonder if the next decade could mint another round of crypto millionaires from the same coin. After all, anyone with $10,000 on hand today can picture a future self bragging about having turned it into a cool $1 million, as risky as such fantasies may be to achieve. Before popping (or even buying) any champagne, it pays to run the numbers, and to ask if Solana's fundamentals can realistically support another 100-bagger move. Solana is a good chain that's among the strongest in the crypto sector from the standpoints of technical implementation and user-friendliness. Its price is up about 260% during the past three years. But turning $10,000 into $1 million in 10 years would require Solana to compound at an annual rate of roughly 58%. That implies a 100-fold rise in the token's price from about $144 today to around $14,400 by 2035. Meanwhile, the network's market cap would balloon from roughly $77 billion to about $7.7 trillion, making it considerably larger than the entire 2024 gross domestic product of Japan, at about $4.2 trillion. Such gargantuan growth is not impossible. For instance, Bitcoin rose even faster between 2013 and 2023, but every additional zero added to the market cap gets harder because new money must justify ever-steeper valuations. For Solana to shoulder that load it would need to become the default payment or transaction settlement layer for a meaningful slice of global finance, not just an efficient chain for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi), meme coins, and hobbyist projects. Think trillions of dollars of tokenized stocks, bonds, and real-world assets (RWAs) coursing over its rails and paying fees in Solana. Anything less, and a 100-bagger is mathematically out of reach. There is nothing inherently unreachable about Solana's grand vision being realized during the coming decade. In fact, Solana would be a logical place for those kinds of financial activities due to its speed, low fees, and great developer tooling. To its credit, Solana is built for throughput. Its base layer was benchmarked in 2023 at 65,000 transactions per second (TPS), with median fees below $0.002. This year, the long-awaited Firedancer client entered validator testing, promising a theoretical ceiling of 1 million TPS that would dwarf rival chains as well as traditional payments networks utilized by major credit card providers. If Firedancer ships on schedule in late 2025, Solana could retain its cost and speed advantage for years. Big finance is taking notice. In May a group of major banks announced pilot programs to issue and trade tokenized municipal bonds and money market funds directly on Solana. And, earlier this month the credit rater Moody's ran the first on-chain credit rating trial for those assets. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates the asset tokenization opportunity at $16 trillion by 2030. If Solana captures even a modest share, fee-driven demand for the coin could surge, and things look to be on track on that front. Furthermore, developers are also experimenting with AI agents that settle micro-payments and data attestations on-chain, thanks to new toolkits released this year. These apps are early, but they offer a second leg of demand beyond finance. If agents end up taking off and transacting on Solana at scale, it could be a major driver of demand for the coin. Despite the above, there's a very long way between where the coin is today and it rising 100-fold, and it does not make sense to bet on it delivering the astronomical returns needed to turn $10,000 into $1 million at this juncture. A more grounded case is that Solana could rise five- to 10-fold during the next five years or so if Firedancer delivers, tokenization moves from trials to production, some institutions use it to process transactions, and artificial intelligence apps gain traction. A 10-fold jump would turn $10,000 into $100,000, and it would required a hefty but fully believable 26% annual return. The move here is to build a position slowly, size it modestly, and revisit the investment thesis for continuing to buy it each time a major milestone lands. Owning some Solana will likely pay off handsomely, but counting on a $1 million payday is more hope than strategy. Before you buy stock in Solana, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Solana wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $687,731!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $945,846!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 818% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 175% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Alex Carchidi has positions in Bitcoin and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Moody's, and Solana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Will a $10,000 Investment in Solana Turn Into $1 Million by 2035? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Rises 7%, Solana Jumps 14.5% as $347 Million in Crypto Shorts Are Liquidated Following Market Recovery
Bitcoin and Solana have continued to climb as the broader cryptocurrency market rebounds following volatility earlier in April. Bitcoin rose to $91,100—up 7% since April 2—while Solana surged by 14.5% to $145 during the same period. Overall, the global crypto market cap has grown 6% to $295 trillion, with Bitcoin maintaining a 60% share. The rally comes despite political tensions and economic uncertainty following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of broad reciprocal tariffs, which had initially caused market jitters. Solana's price rise has been especially notable, given recent developments involving the bankrupt exchange FTX. Around 11 million SOL tokens—valued at about $1.6 billion—were unlocked from the FTX estate, the largest such release since January 2021. Typically, such an influx of tokens would push prices down, but that has not happened. Analysts suggest the market had already absorbed the impact and that interest in the token remains strong. Matthew Nay, a research analyst at Messari, described the token as having been oversold and pointed to renewed interest driven by upcoming updates to the network, including the Firedancer validator client. Meme coins on the Solana network have also gained traction. Fartcoin, developed by Truth Terminal, an AI agent, rose by 21% in the last 24 hours to a market cap of $1.08 billion. It surpassed Bonk to become the second-largest meme coin on Solana and is now approaching Official Trump (TRUMP), the current leader among Solana-based meme coins. Bitcoin has gained momentum as a safe haven and store of value. Its continued rise is attributed to increasing adoption by institutional investors and the launch of spot ETFs. David Duong, head of research at Coinbase Institutional, highlighted that Bitcoin has become more embedded in traditional investment portfolios, which has helped cushion it from sharp price drops seen in previous cycles. On Tuesday, Bitcoin reached a peak of $93,461, its highest price since early March, and is now up 18% over the past two weeks. Other major cryptocurrencies also saw gains. Ethereum rose nearly 8% to $1,703, Dogecoin climbed 9% to $0.172, and XRP gained 3% to $2.15. Although some of these tokens remain below their recent peaks, the broader market has shown signs of recovery. Crypto-related liquidations totaled $347 million over the last 24 hours, with $255 million coming from short positions. Bitcoin accounted for $142 million of that, while Ethereum made up $90 million. The broader mood in financial markets has improved slightly as hopes grow for reduced trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
