Solayer: Turning SOL Into a Powerhouse With Restaking
If you’ve been around Solana for a while, you know it moves fast. Transactions fly, fees barely exist, and the ecosystem just keeps building. But there’s always the same question: how can I make my SOL work harder for me?
That’s where @Solayer steps in—a restaking and liquid restaking protocol made for Solana. Think of it as giving your SOL a second job. Normally, when you stake SOL, you earn rewards for helping secure the network. With Solayer, you can restake that same SOL (or even certain Solana liquid staking tokens) to also secure other services—and stack extra rewards—without giving up liquidity.
Sounds powerful, right? Let’s break it down.
What Solayer really does
When you deposit SOL into Solayer, you get back a token called sSOL (your Liquid Restaking Token). That sSOL is proof of your restaked position. It keeps earning you rewards behind the scenes, but here’s the magic—you can also use it in DeFi. Trade it, lend it, farm with it, all while your original SOL keeps working in the background.
Basically:
Stake once.
Earn multiple rewards.
Stay liquid.
The AVS angle (aka why this is bigger than just yield)
Here’s where Solayer sets itself apart. Your restaked SOL doesn’t just sit there—it helps secure Actively Validated Services (AVSs).
Two kinds exist:
Endogenous AVSs → services built inside Solana itself (like oracles, schedulers, congestion control). These actually make Solana’s base layer stronger.
Exogenous AVSs → external services like bridges or cross-chain networks that want to tap into Solana’s security.
Solayer’s plan? Focus on endogenous AVSs first to boost Solana from within, then expand to exogenous ones. That means your stake isn’t just earning—it’s literally helping Solana run better.
Why people care: rewards that stack
Restaking isn’t just hype. With Solayer, you’re looking at three possible reward streams:
Base staking rewards → what you’d normally earn from staking SOL.
AVS rewards → extra fees/incentives for securing services.
MEV strategies (where supported) → squeezing out more yield from validator operations.
And because you hold sSOL, you don’t lose flexibility. That’s the part that DeFi degens love—you can stack rewards and still keep your liquidity alive.
Under the hood (for the nerds)
Solayer’s structure has three moving pieces:
Restaking Pool Manager → handles deposits and issues sSOL.
Delegation Manager → spreads stake across validators and AVSs.
Stake Pool → picks validators and optimizes yield, possibly with MEV strategies.
Put simply: it’s built to balance rewards, security, and efficiency.
More than finance: InfiniSVM & QoS
Solayer’s vision isn’t just about yield—it’s also about performance. They’re developing InfiniSVM, a hardware-accelerated extension of Solana’s runtime, and stake-weighted QoS (Quality of Service), which prioritizes well-staked operators. That means your restaked SOL isn’t just earning—it’s helping the network run smoother and scale better.
The LAYER token and governance
In early 2025, Solayer introduced the LAYER token alongside the Solayer Foundation to give the community real governance power.
Max supply: 1 billion LAYER
Initial circulating: ~220 million
Community allocation: 51.2% (so users actually get the lion’s share)
This token ties Solayer’s ecosystem together, making sure restakers, validators, and AVS operators all have a say.
How you’d actually use Solayer
Connect your Solana wallet (Phantom, Backpack, etc.).
Deposit SOL or a supported liquid staking token.
Get sSOL back.
Hold it to earn—or go wild with it in DeFi.
It’s designed to be simple enough that anyone who’s staked before can jump right in.
But let’s be real—there are risks
Restaking isn’t magic. You should know what you’re signing up for:
Smart contract risk → more contracts = more attack surface.
Slashing risk → if an AVS or validator misbehaves, penalties can hit.
Liquidity risk → in rough markets, sSOL could trade at a discount.
Operator risk → your rewards depend on the reliability of AVSs and validators.
So while Solayer looks promising, it’s not a “set and forget” forever kind of deal.
Why this matters for Solana
Solayer raised $12M in seed funding (led by Polychain Capital and HackVC), showing strong backing. But beyond money, it’s about making SOL more productive and strengthening Solana’s infrastructure at the same time.
Instead of just being another DeFi farm, Solayer is aiming to become part of Solana’s backbone—where every SOL you restake doesn’t just pay you more, but also helps the network grow.
✨ The bottom line: Solayer is Solana’s native restaking engine. It makes SOL work harder, keeps you liquid with sSOL, and could become a pillar of Solana’s next growth phase. For anyone betting on Solana long-term, Solayer isn’t just another protocol—it’s a way to plug directly into the chain’s future.
$LAYER
#BuiltonSolayer
