Anatoly Yakovenko, cofounder of Solana (SOL), has responded to Ryan Watkins’ post about the subtle Hyperliquid rivalry. In an update shared on X, Yakovenko acknowledged that competition in the crypto space has a transformative effect.
Solana founder advocates product-driven development over hype
Yakovenko’s comments suggest that Solana remains committed to prioritizing blockchain performance and user experience over hype.
Notably, Ryan Watkins implies that Hyperliquid and Solana are now competing head-to-head. The rivalry could be a crucial battle for dominance in bringing the U.S. equities market on-chain.
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Interestingly, rather than dismissing competitors, Yakovenko welcomes the pressure and hopes that Hyperliquid does well enough to put more of a spotlight on Solana. According to him, this will force Solana to focus on product, engineering and revenue through actual usage.
The real competition that you pick or is picked for you will change you. Do I want to be changed by TVL numbers and monetary premium, or a laser focus on product and engineering and revenues? I hope the hype guys do so well that they push the solana ecosystem to double down on… https://t.co/BzYdR8XaUM
— toly 🇺🇸 (@aeyakovenko) May 23, 2025
He maintained that Solana is not prioritizing the chase of Total Value Locked (TVL) or monetary premium figures.
"I hope the hype guys do so well that they push the Solana ecosystem to double down on the latter," Yakovenko wrote.
This suggests that the industry should prioritize developing product-thinking approaches to drive development in the crypto space. Yakovenko is advocating a shift from speculative metrics like TVL that do not translate to sustainable growth.
SOL eyes $200 milestone amid market optimism
On the broader crypto market, Solana investors look forward to the asset’s price climbing to $200 on the back of the ongoing bullish run. As U.Today reported, Solana's technical indicators show that attaining the $200 level remains achievable if the ecosystem supports the current momentum.
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As of press time, the SOL price was trading at $182.74, representing a 2.29% increase in the last 24 hours. In earlier trading activity, Solana had reached a peak of $187.
Meanwhile, trading volume has increased slightly by 3.16% to $6.75 billion.
The coming days will determine Solana's price trajectory. Can the ecosystem support its climb to $200 as it faces a crucial price test?
