Introduction: From 'Turtle Speed' to 'Light Speed', is Solana's Next Stop Solayer?
If blockchain is a race of speed and security, then Solana is already the 'supercar' on the track, with performance capable of processing tens of thousands of transactions (TPS) per second, leaving Ethereum's 'old car' in the dust. However, even supercars have their limits—Solana's network congestion, validator bandwidth bottlenecks, and performance issues in high-frequency trading scenarios have already made developers and users lament 'what to do for worry, only a faster chain can help.'
And just at the peak of 2025, Solayer emerged with the 'light-speed engine' of InfiniSVM, not only aiming to make Solana run faster but also to seamlessly connect on-chain finance with real-world consumption. Some have jokingly remarked that Solayer is like giving Solana a 'nitrous boost', aiming for 1 million transactions per second (TPS), while its sUSD and Emerald Card seem to give the on-chain ecosystem 'wings for consumption'. Is this 'chain speed frenzy' or just 'marketing hype'?
Today, we deeply analyze how Solayer's InfiniSVM achieves >1M TPS extreme performance, how sUSD establishes a foothold in the on-chain dollar ecosystem, and how the Emerald Card becomes the 'crypto artifact' linking on-chain payments and real-world consumption.
1. InfiniSVM: The 'Light-speed Engine' of 1 Million TPS
Why do we need 1 million TPS?
In the world of blockchain, TPS (transactions per second) is the 'hard currency' for measuring public chain performance. Bitcoin's 7 TPS is suitable for being 'digital gold', Ethereum's 15-30 TPS barely supported the early prosperity of DeFi, while Solana's theoretical peak of 65,000 TPS made on-chain gaming, NFTs, and meme coin trading explode for a time. However, with the explosive growth of Web3 applications—from microtransactions driven by AI agents to global on-chain finance, the demand for high-frequency and high-concurrency transactions is raising the bar for TPS. Solayer's CTO Jason Li bluntly stated: 'The improvement from 7,000 TPS to 10,000 TPS is meaningless; our goal is to directly aim for 1 million TPS.'
What does 1 million TPS mean? Taking Visa as an example, its global payment network has a peak processing capacity of about 65,000 TPS, while Solayer aims to push blockchain transaction processing capacity to more than 15 times that of Visa. This performance can not only meet the high-frequency transfer needs of end users but also support complex enterprise-level application scenarios, such as real-time clearing, AI-driven on-chain trading, and even a global on-chain payment network.
The technological core of InfiniSVM: Hardware Acceleration + Protocol Reconstruction
To achieve 1 million TPS, Solayer's InfiniSVM employs a dual-track strategy of 'hardware acceleration + protocol reconstruction'. Here are the breakdowns of its core technical advantages:
Hardware Acceleration: 'Zero-copy' communication with RDMA and InfiniBand
The hardware acceleration of InfiniSVM mainly relies on RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) and InfiniBand technology. RDMA allows devices to access the memory of remote nodes directly without OS intervention, greatly reducing CPU load and communication latency. InfiniBand provides low-latency network bandwidth of up to 100 Gbps, designed for high-performance computing (HPC) and data centers. This 'zero-copy' communication method is a first in the blockchain field, as Solayer offloads transaction processing to dedicated hardware (like SmartNICs and FPGAs), significantly enhancing network throughput and processing efficiency.
Specifically, the workflow of InfiniSVM is as follows:
Transaction Entry: Transactions are signed and verified through a scalable entry cluster (composed of hundreds of thousands to millions of nodes) to avoid duplicate transactions.
Pre-execution Stage: Transactions are sent to the pre-execution cluster, where cleaning and pre-execution are performed based on probabilistic predictions of future states, significantly reducing computational pressure for subsequent sorting.
Sorting and Scheduling: Through InfiniBand network and FPGA-accelerated sorters, transactions are divided into simple and complex paths, efficiently scheduled based on fine-grained account access patterns.
According to Solayer's Chief Engineer Chaofan Shou, InfiniSVM can achieve a theoretical peak of 16 billion TPS under simple workloads, and even reach 890,000 TPS under conflicting workloads, close to the goal of 1 million TPS. This performance is sufficient to support 'billions of people simultaneously transferring USDC or millions of people trading meme coins on Raydium'.
Protocol Reconstruction: Dynamic Sharding and Hybrid Consensus
In addition to hardware acceleration, InfiniSVM further releases performance potential through innovations at the protocol level:
Dynamic Sharding: InfiniSVM adopts a multi-execution cluster architecture, connected by SDN (Software Defined Network) and RDMA to achieve 'infinite scalability'. Each application runs on an independent execution engine, without interference, while maintaining atomic state consistency.
Hybrid Consensus Mechanism: InfiniSVM combines PoA (Proof of Authority) and PoS (Proof of Stake) to coordinate and verify millions of transactions per second through Mega Leaders (super validator nodes). Transactions are batched into 'shreds', containing metadata and link hashes, ensuring efficiency and resistance to censorship.
Speculative Preprocessing: InfiniSVM optimizes concurrent transaction processing and reduces conflict rates through speculative execution of simulated transactions and fine-grained scheduling based on account access patterns.
Compared to traditional EVMs (like Ethereum), InfiniSVM's advantages lie in its 'Pessimistic' execution model and its design of tokens as 'first-class citizens'. The Optimistic Rollup of EVM (like Optimism) faces throughput limitations due to state access conflicts, whereas InfiniSVM achieves a fourfold efficiency improvement through state compression and parallel processing.
From Firedancer to InfiniSVM
Part of Solayer's inspiration comes from Solana's validator client Firedancer, which significantly enhanced Solana's performance by optimizing the network stack. Solayer further offloads transaction processing components (like traffic management, sorting, storage) to SmartNICs and programmable switches, achieving a transaction confirmation time of 1ms. This technical effect has been validated in internal testing: InfiniSVM's line-speed processing capacity reaches 100 Gbps to 4 Tbps, with a theoretical TPS of up to 1.6 billion.
The Practical Significance of Infinite Scalability
InfiniSVM's 'infinite scalability' is not an empty slogan but a practical capability achieved through dynamic sharding and hardware acceleration. Traditional blockchain scalability is limited by single-machine performance or network bandwidth, while InfiniSVM can theoretically infinitely scale execution nodes through distributed execution clusters and RDMA technology, thus supporting any scale of concurrent transactions. This design is particularly suitable for high-frequency trading scenarios, such as on-chain gaming, AI agent trading, and real-time payments.
Moreover, InfiniSVM also introduces user experience optimization features:
Hook: Allows developers to embed on-chain logic such as arbitrage and liquidation.
Support for Huge Transactions: Supports larger transaction sizes and cross-program calls.
Cross-chain Atomic Operations: Achieved through built-in system programs for cross-chain interoperability.
OAuth Support: Users can use services like Google and X as wallet entry points, lowering the barrier of entry.
InfiniSVM pushes blockchain performance to new heights through the combination of RDMA, InfiniBand, dynamic sharding, and hybrid consensus. Its goal of 1 million TPS is not just a technical breakthrough but also lays the foundation for the next generation of Web3 applications (such as AI-driven trading, global payment networks).
2. sUSD: The 'Stable Anchor' of the On-chain Dollar Ecosystem
The positioning and design of sUSD
In the on-chain financial ecosystem, stablecoins are the indispensable 'blood'. Solayer's sUSD (Solayer USD) is positioned as a native stablecoin backed by U.S. Treasury bonds, with an annual yield of about 4%, aiming to combine stability with yield generation. Unlike centralized stablecoins like Tether (USDT) or Circle (USDC), sUSD offers higher transparency and yield potential through decentralized mechanisms and backing by Treasury assets.
The design goal of sUSD is to unleash the 'true potential' of stablecoins:
Stability: Backed by U.S. Treasury bonds, the risk is extremely low, similar to the 'risk-free rate' in traditional finance.
Yield Generation: Users holding sUSD can earn 4-5% annual yield without lock-up periods or minimum thresholds.
On-chain Integration: sUSD supports instant minting and redemption through the high-performance architecture of InfiniSVM, suitable for high-frequency trading and payment scenarios.
The role of sUSD in the on-chain dollar ecosystem
In the Solana ecosystem, the stablecoin market is highly competitive, with USDC and USDT dominating, while emerging stablecoins like Usual's USD0 are also rising quickly. sUSD occupies a place in the on-chain dollar ecosystem through the following advantages:
High Yield: An annual yield of 4% far exceeds traditional bank deposits and requires no lock-up period, attracting risk-averse users.
Cross-chain Expansion: On May 29, 2025, sUSD expanded to the Base chain through Wormhole NTT, further broadening its application scenarios in DeFi and cross-chain finance.
Ecological Integration: sUSD seamlessly connects with Solayer's Emerald Card and native staking products, forming an on-chain financial loop. Users can directly consume sUSD through the Emerald Card or stake it for additional returns.
The tipping feature of sUSD and ecological synergy
On May 28, 2025, Solayer partnered with Sidekick Labs to launch the sUSD tipping feature, allowing users to tip with sUSD on social platforms and earn 4% annual yield. This innovation extends the application scenarios of stablecoins from DeFi to C-end social fields, further enhancing the practicality of sUSD.
Additionally, the market cap of sUSD has reached $30 million, ranking sixth in the Solana ecosystem. Although it still appears 'niche' compared to the hundreds of billions market cap of USDC, its growth potential should not be underestimated.
sUSD plays the role of a 'stable anchor' in the on-chain dollar ecosystem through backing by Treasury bonds, high yield, and cross-chain expansion. Its synergy with InfiniSVM and the Emerald Card further strengthens the financial loop of the Solayer ecosystem.
2. The Emerald Card: The 'Crypto Artifact' Linking On-chain Payments and Real-world Consumption
The design and functions of the Emerald Card
Solayer's Emerald Card is a crypto payment card in collaboration with Visa, supporting deposits of USDC and sUSD, usable for online and offline consumption worldwide, and compatible with major payment platforms like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Its core features include:
Seamless Payments: Users can deposit USDC or sUSD into the Emerald Card for direct consumption on the global Visa network or withdraw cash at ATMs.
On-chain Rewards: Users can earn protocol profits during consumption, and sUSD deposit users enjoy 4-5% annual yield.
Non-custodial Design: Users have complete control over their private keys, ensuring the security of their assets.
High Throughput Support: Based on InfiniSVM's Visa-level throughput, transaction confirmation times can be as low as 1ms.
The Emerald Card was officially launched on April 15, 2025, open to 40,000 users, with activation fees varying based on participation methods (pre-order $75, community sale free).
A Bridge Connecting On-chain and Real-world Consumption
The launch of the Emerald Card marks Solayer's strategic layout for the 'integration of on-chain payments and real-world consumption'. Traditional crypto payment cards (like Crypto.com Visa Card) often rely on centralized custody, while the non-custodial design of the Emerald Card and the high-performance support of InfiniSVM make it stand out in the following scenarios:
Daily Consumption: Users can use USDC or sUSD for daily consumption scenarios like coffee shops and supermarkets, experiencing fluidity similar to traditional credit cards.
On-chain Financial Loop: Users can stake SOL to obtain sUSD, then deposit sUSD into the Emerald Card to enjoy consumption convenience while also earning stable returns.
Global Accessibility: Supports the global Visa network, covering millions of merchants, particularly suitable for cross-border payment needs.
Marketing and Ecological Incentives of the Emerald Card
Solayer's promotion of the Emerald Card is creative, playing on the marketing meme of 'Empress Dowager Cixi's love for jade' to successfully attract a lot of attention. Additionally, Solayer has partnered with Nubit (on May 12, cardholders received Bitcoin rewards of $5-100) and Nansen (on June 3, cardholders enjoyed a 10% discount), further enhancing the appeal of the Emerald Card.
On May 23, 2025, Solayer partnered with Chaos Finance to launch the Emerald Reward Drop, airdropping over $20,000 worth of $CHAOS tokens, further incentivizing early cardholders. This ecological incentive mechanism not only enhances user stickiness but also promotes the community craze for the $LAYER token.
The Emerald Card successfully connects on-chain assets with real-world consumption scenarios through non-custodial design, high-performance support, and ecological incentives, becoming the 'killer app' of the Solayer ecosystem.
4. Solayer's Market Performance and Community Response
The craze for $LAYER tokens
$LAYER is the native token of InfiniSVM, which was launched for community sale on January 16, 2025, and went live on major exchanges like Binance on February 11, sparking a market frenzy. As of June 4, $LAYER has been listed on the Thai exchange Bitkub, further expanding into the Asian market. KOLs on platform X are very optimistic about $LAYER, calling it 'the cornerstone of high-performance decentralized networks' and predicting its market capitalization potential could reach $1.6 billion.
Community and Ecological Construction
Solayer has successfully attracted 275,000 deposit users through bounty tasks, airdrops, and community sales, achieving a TVL of $370 million and ranking ninth in the Solana ecosystem. The creative bounty campaign (with a total prize pool of 3000 sUSD) launched in collaboration with the Solar community further ignited the enthusiasm of content creators.
Challenges and Risks
Despite Solayer's strong momentum, it still faces the following challenges:
Technical Validation: The performance of 1 million TPS needs to be tested in real scenarios after going live on the mainnet.
Competitive Pressure: Other SVM projects like Sonic SVM and SOON are also competing for a share of the Solana ecosystem.
Regulatory Risk: sUSD and the Emerald Card involve U.S. Treasury bonds and global payments, which may face regulatory scrutiny.
Is Solayer the 'nitrous boost' for Solana or the future of Web3?
If Solana is a supercar in the blockchain world, then Solayer's InfiniSVM is like equipping it with a 'light-speed engine', sUSD is the 'stable fuel' inside, and the Emerald Card is the 'highway' to the real world. From hardware acceleration technology achieving 1 million TPS to sUSD's on-chain financial innovations, and the consumption revolution brought by the Emerald Card, Solayer is not only reshaping the Solana ecosystem but also paving the way for the future of Web3. Just like Empress Dowager Cixi's obsession with jade, Solayer's ecological matrix allows users to 'get rich on-chain' while also 'spending in reality'. Why not?
In the future, will Solayer truly fulfill its promise of 1 million TPS? Can sUSD break through in the stablecoin race? Will the Emerald Card become the 'Visa' of crypto payments? Let's wait and see, as speed determines height and innovation builds the future in the world of Web3! Get on board, Solayer's 'light-speed journey' has already started!
