Solana, the layer-one blockchain platform, celebrated five years since the launch of its mainnet on March 16, 2020.
To celebrate the milestone, the network shared its accomplishments, which include more than 1,300 validators, nearly $1 trillion in trading volume, and over 408 billion total Solana transactions, in a post on its official X account.
Happy 5th birthday Solana fam!
408+ billion transactions.
1,300+ validators.
$987+ billion volume.Thank you to all the relentless founders, devs, and nCMOs around the globe who have made Solana what it is today — 5 years in, we're just getting started
pic.twitter.com/p89PynhjpJ
— Solana (@solana) March 16, 2025
Solana (SOL) was founded in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko with the goal of addressing the primary challenge facing blockchain technology. The network aims to strike the right balance between scalability, security, and decentralization.
When combined with proof-of-stake, Yakovenko’s proof-of-history system speeds up transaction processing. Solana has been able to grow while maintaining low costs as a result.
More than 254 million blocks have been generated by Solana since its mainnet went live in March 2020. Since then, the network has grown to be a major force in decentralized finance, with over $7 billion in total value locked in its protocols, according to DeFiLlama data.
Meanwhile, Solana’s stablecoin market has reached $11 billion, down from its peak of over $12.6 billion in February 2025. Similarly, its market cap, which once peaked at $127.5 billion, now stands at $65 billion.
Developer interest in Solana has also significantly increased. It surpassed Ethereum as the most popular blockchain for new developers in 2024. According to Electric Capital’s 2024 developer report, Solana attracted 7,625 new developers in the previous year, accounting for 19.5% of all new entrants in the market.
On Mar. 17, CME Group plans to introduce Solana futures contracts, subject to regulatory clearance. These futures, which are intended to assist investors in protecting themselves from price swings, indicate that Solana is becoming a more widely accepted asset in the cryptocurrency market.
Furthermore, Solana has been included in several exchange-traded funds applications, indicating its increasing mainstream acceptance and room for growth.
