$BTC Blockchain Platform: Launched in March 2020, founded by Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal, Solana supports smart contracts, DeFi, NFTs, and gaming via its native cryptocurrency SOL .

Consensus Mechanics: Uses a hybrid consensus combining Proof-of-Stake (PoS) with a novel Proof-of-History (PoH) for time-stamping, enabling concurrency and high throughput