In the fast-moving world of crypto, there's always a new trendāand lately, restaking has taken center stage. Ethereum has EigenLayer, sure. But what about Solana?
Meet @Solayer āa fresh, high-speed take on restaking thatās native to Solana and built with serious utility in mind.
Itās not just about staking anymore. Itās about doing more with what you already stakedāand getting paid for it.
āļø What Exactly Is Solayer?
Solayer is a restaking and liquid restaking protocol. If youāre already staking your SOL or using liquid staking tokens like mSOL, JitoSOL, or bSOL, youāve got idle capital that could be working harder.
Solayer lets you restake those assets, which means:
They still support the Solana network
They also help secure additional services (called AVSs)
And you get extra rewards on top of your usual staking yield
Even better? You get a liquid token called sSOL in return, which you can freely use across Solana DeFi while still earning.
This isnāt just stakingāitās staking leveled up.
šŖ So, Whatās the Deal With sSOL?
Letās talk about sSOL, because this is the token that makes Solayer tick.
You deposit SOL or LSTs (like mSOL or JitoSOL)
Solayer gives you sSOL
That sSOL keeps earning behind the scenes, but you can trade it, lend it, or farm with it just like any other token
Itās kind of like turning your stake into a multi-toolāyou keep the benefits but unlock new options. And in the DeFi world, flexibility is everything.
š AVS: The Secret Sauce of Restaking
Restaking doesnāt just double your rewards out of thin air. It works by redirecting part of your stake to support Actively Validated Servicesāthings like:
Oracle networks
Rollup sequencers
Cross-chain bridges
Other middleware that needs decentralized security
In return for helping secure these services, you (and the protocol) earn extra rewards.
Itās kind of like lending your muscle to multiple teams at onceāand getting a paycheck from all of them.
š What's Under the Hood?
Solayer isnāt just another clone. Itās built with some serious tech behind the scenes. One big innovation is InfiniSVMāa custom execution layer designed for Solanaās speed.
Hereās the rundown:
Supports up to 1 million TPS (yes, really)
Built for ultra-fast use cases like payments and high-frequency trading
Uses high-end infrastructure like RDMA, InfiniBand, and a hybrid PoS/PoA model
Translation: itās designed to scale big, with near-instant confirmation and the ability to handle large AVS ecosystems.
šµ Wait, Thereās a Stablecoin Too?
Yep. Solayer also offers sUSD, a yield-bearing stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar.
Hereās why it matters:
sUSD is backed by real-world assets like U.S. Treasury Bills
It earns a 4ā5% APYājust by holding it
You can even restake it for extra AVS rewards
For users who want yield but donāt want to deal with market volatility, this is a very attractive option.
š§ What Makes Solayer Different?
You might be wondering: āIsnāt this just Solanaās version of EigenLayer?ā
Fair questionābut Solayer brings its own flavor to the table. Here's how it stands out:
Feature Solayer (Solana) EigenLayer (Ethereum)
Base Chain Solana Ethereum
Speed Up to 1M TPS (InfiniSVM) Slower (ETH-bound)
Liquid Token sSOL No native LRT (yet)
Stablecoin Yes (sUSD) No
AVS Integration Yes Yes
DeFi Use Cases Strong Solana support Strong Ethereum support
So while they share the same core idea, Solayer is tuned for Solanaās speed, efficiency, and low feesāgiving it a major edge for real-time applications.
š How Big Is This Getting?
Solayer quietly launched in May 2024 with a small private cap. It filled $20 million in just 45 minutes.
Since then, itās been scaling fast:
Total Value Locked (TVL): Over $500 million
Wallets using Solayer: Nearly 300,000
Supported tokens: SOL, mSOL, JitoSOL, bSOL, INF
Itās quickly becoming a pillar of the Solana DeFi stackāand developers are starting to integrate it into everything from lending platforms to MEV auctions.
š Whatās Coming Next?
Solayer has a strong roadmap that includes:
AVS ecosystem expansion
On-chain governance
Possibly launching a governance token
More DeFi integrations
Cross-chain restaking options
With TVL rising and DeFi heating up on Solana, the next 12 months could be huge for this protocol.
š Who's Behind Solayer?
The team is keeping a low profile for nowābut theyāre clearly plugged into the core Solana community. Some signs point to:
Veteran validator operators
Contributors to Solana core infrastructure
Engineers with experience in high-performance financial systems
A full team reveal may come if/when a token drops, especially if thereās a public sale.
š”ļø What About Risks?
No DeFi protocol is risk-free, and Solayer is no exception. Keep in mind:
Smart contract bugs are always a possibility
Validator slashing could affect rewards
AVS failure might reduce your restaking yield
Regulatory uncertainty still looms over staking protocols
Liquidity risk with sSOL (may not always hold perfect value)
The usual crypto mantra applies: āDonāt invest more than you can afford to loseāāand always do your own research.
šÆ Why Solayer Matters
Solayer is more than a buzzword. Itās a real solution for:
People who want more from their staked SOL
Projects looking to secure AVS infrastructure
Developers needing high-speed blockchain security
And itās doing all of this with:
Liquid staking flexibility (sSOL)
Yield-bearing stablecoins (sUSD)
A modular, fast, and scalable infrastructure
A rapidly growing user base
If Solana is your home chain, Solayer is your new best friend for restaking.
š¬ Final Thoughts
Restaking is one of the most exciting evolutions in crypto infrastructureāand Solayer is putting Solana in the game with a fast, flexible, and user-focused approach.
Whether you're a staker, a DeFi degen, or a builder looking to plug into next-gen infrastructure, Solayer deserves a spot on your radar.
The protocol is still young, but the momentum is real. And if you'r
e already holding SOL or LSTs, the entry point is simple: restake and reap the rewards.