Solana Foundation

A non-profit organization based in Zug, Switzerland, focused on fostering the decentralization, adoption, and security of the Solana blockchain ecosystem through grants, validator delegations, and global events.

What is Solana Foundation?

The Solana Foundation, established in 2020 and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, operates as a non-profit entity dedicated to advancing the Solana protocol as a high-performance, censorship-resistant blockchain capable of supporting mass adoption of decentralized technologies. It funds ecosystem projects via its Grants Program, which prioritizes initiatives enhancing network decentralization, such as tools for validator operations and DeFi innovations, with over $100 million disbursed in grants by mid-2025 to more than 500 projects, including support for the Solana Attestation Service launched in early 2025 for private off-chain data verification tied to wallets. The Foundation also runs the Delegation Program, providing SOL stakes to high-performing validators—requiring at least 95% uptime and geographic diversity—to secure the network, with delegations totaling over 10 million SOL across 1,400+ validators as of September 2025, contributing to Solana’s Nakamoto Coefficient of 20.

In 2025, the Foundation has ramped up institutional outreach, co-backing a $300 million Solana digital asset treasury called Solmate in Abu Dhabi with ARK Invest and UAE firms, aimed at building crypto infrastructure and positioning the UAE as Solana’s global hub while managing Brera Holdings’ sports portfolio on-chain. It launched the Solana Policy Institute to influence regulatory discussions, ensuring Solana’s voice in policy arenas amid post-2024 U.S. election shifts favoring crypto. Events like Breakpoint 2025 (December 10-13 in Abu Dhabi, featuring speakers such as Anatoly Yakovenko and Ledger’s Chief Experience Officer) and a New York conference (May 19-23) drive developer onboarding, with over 94% of 2024 Radar hackathon projects from non-U.S. teams highlighting its global focus; these gatherings have facilitated serendipitous collaborations, boosting Solana’s TVL to $50 billion.

The Foundation’s lean structure—about two full-time staff on grants—balances transparency with efficiency, though community calls for detailed transparency reports on SOL holdings, sales, and OTC deals persist, as noted in recent X discussions. Distinct from for-profit Solana Labs, it addresses challenges like MEV mitigation through validator sanctions on sandwich attacks and supports upgrades like Firedancer for enhanced resilience, solidifying Solana’s role in applications from Visa’s USDC settlements to tokenized assets in Franklin Templeton’s BENJI fund.