Solayer Airdrop

Problem Solved

Solayer’s core offering is its restaking platform — essentially it can be seen as the Eigenlayer of Solana — enabling users to re-use staked SOL or LSTs to secure decentralized services and earn extra yield. It helps dApps secure guaranteed blockspace and transaction priority based on staked assets rather than reliance on RPC providers. This unlocks more deterministic performance and a permissionless security marketplace within Solana.

But Solayer didn’t stop at restaking. Continuous development has elevated it into a full-featured finance stack on Solana. Most notably, Solayer is building Solayer Chain (InfiniSVM) — a high-performance, Solana-compatible execution layer aiming for 1M+ TPS using hardware acceleration.

Additional tools like Hooks (programmable post-tx logic), cross-chain contract calls, OAuth-based logins (ZK Login), and the sUSD stablecoin show Solayer’s intention to become a vertically integrated ecosystem. Together, these components make Solayer not just a restaking hub, but a scalable DeFi infrastructure layer tailored to Solana’s architecture and future throughput demands.

Tokenomics

$LAYER is the centerpiece of Solayer’s ecosystem — the native token of the InfiniSVM network and governance asset across all protocol products. It ties together the base infrastructure (restaking and InfiniSVM) with the broader vertical suite of products, serving as both a coordination and value accrual layer.

The total supply is capped at 1 billion tokens. Distribution is split across Community & Ecosystem (51.23%), Core Contributors (17.11%), Investors (16.66%), and the Foundation (15%). Of that, 12% is earmarked for the Genesis Drop to reward early restakers and ecosystem participants. An additional 3% was distributed through the Emerald Card sale.

The token allocation is heavily tilted toward the community. Combined with multi-year vesting (e.g. 4 years linear for Foundation and Ecosystem, 1-year cliff + 3 years linear for team), this reduces dump risk and rewards long-term participation.

At launch, $LAYER enables governance over supported assets and grant programs. Over time, it will also serve as the gas token and staking collateral for validators securing InfiniSVM. The token’s phased unlock design and usage expansion support sustainable value growth tied to real network activity.

Perspectives

Solayer’s roadmap is ambitious. Multiple testnet phases in 2025 will progressively scale the InfiniSVM chain from ~1 Gbps up to ~10 Gbps throughput, while implementing cross-chain bridging with Solana and fraud-proof mechanisms for security. Mainnet launch is planned for late 2025, at which point $LAYER will also become the gas token on the new chain.

The InfiniSVM architecture brings novel capabilities. It will offer transaction hooks and built-in cross-chain contract calls to enable new functionality across networks. User onboarding is also a focus: InfiniSVM introduces ZK-Login, letting users authenticate via familiar platforms (Google, X/Twitter, etc.) using zero-knowledge proofs instead of seed phrases. This can make interacting with crypto apps as easy as Web2 logins, a significant UX improvement.

In the longer term, Solayer intends to support restaking for external services and assets, not just Solana-based dApps. By combining hardware-based scaling, cross-chain interoperability, and user-friendly features, Solayer is aligning with key blockchain trends while pushing them further. If it can execute on this vision, Solayer could become a crucial scalability layer for Web3 – powering use cases like on-chain AI agents, global payments, or high-frequency trading that today’s networks struggle with.

The challenge will be turning these plans into a robust network with real adoption. Success depends on hitting technical milestones and proving to developers that Solayer’s integrated approach is more compelling than alternative scaling solutions.

Founders and Team

Solayer was co-founded by Jason Li and Rachel Chu, supported by a tech-focused team. Jason, who leads research and engineering, earned dual degrees in Computer Science and Business from UC Berkeley. He was active in the Blockchain at Berkeley community and previously co-founded MPCVault, a multi-signature crypto wallet, demonstrating a strong entrepreneurial track record. Co-founder Rachel Chu played a significant role at SushiSwap, a decentralized trading protocol, where she led product development and go-to-market strategies.

Despite being a young project, the team has moved fast – Solayer Labs was incorporated in early 2024 and had a live Solana-based product by May 2024. Reaching ~$500M in TVL and tens of thousands of users by January 2025 reflects their strong execution. In sum, Solayer’s core contributors combine deep computer science expertise (especially rooted in UC Berkeley’s blockchain circles) with an ability to rapidly build and deploy cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure.

Funding

Solayer has garnered significant investor support. In mid-2024, it raised funding in a builders round backed by prominent figures in the Solana ecosystem, followed by $12 million in a seed round led by Polychain Capital and Hack VC, with participation from Binance Labs and other notable funds. This early backing reflected strong confidence in Solayer’s restaking vision for Solana.

In early 2025, Solayer also held a community token sale to distribute $10.5 million worth of $LAYER to the public. This mix of venture funding and community participation not only provided additional capital but also broadened community ownership of the network.

The funding secured gives Solayer a healthy runway. The seed funds, plus the project’s token reserves (over half the supply designated for ecosystem and development), can fuel its roadmap and infrastructure needs. Having top-tier crypto VCs involved also offers strategic support and credibility. Barring unforeseen hurdles, Solayer appears financially equipped to develop its high-performance chain and expand the ecosystem. Continued technical progress and user growth will be key to attracting any further investment or achieving self-sustaining revenue, but at present the strong financial backing supports the project’s scale and long-term vision.

Community

Solayer has quickly built a large and active community, with around 180,000 followers on X and a rapidly growing Discord user base (joining the Discord was even part of the product onboarding steps). A liquidity reward program in 2024, which awarded points for restaking, drove viral growth. At peak, over 300,000 unique wallets had deposited into Solayer’s pool to farm potential rewards. This massive turnout – largely composed of airdrop hunters and Solana enthusiasts – gave Solayer one of the most engaged pre-launch user bases in the ecosystem.

Community sentiment has been largely positive and enthusiastic. Solayer’s team keeps users informed with frequent updates and AMAs, which helps maintain buzz. Many in the community express excitement about the technology and the anticipated airdrop. By aligning early user incentives with the project’s success, Solayer has fostered a loyal following even before its standalone chain is live.

The key will be retaining and converting this early engagement into sustained usage beyond just reward farming. So far, the active discourse, feedback during testnets, and community-driven content indicate a growing base of believers that could stick around for the long haul – provided Solayer continues to deliver on its promises.

Competitors

Restaking on Solana is no longer a one-player game. While Solayer pioneered the concept in early 2024 and remains one of the more advanced protocols, others like MarginFi, BlazeStake, and JPool — along with traditional LST protocols like Marinade and Sanctum — now overlap heavily in function and user base. As of May 2025, Solayer sits around $117M in TVL, behind several other Solana-native staking solutions. This means Solayer no longer holds an undisputed first-mover advantage.

That said, it is still a top contender in the restaking category and the only protocol layering restaking with a dedicated high-performance execution chain (InfiniSVM). That stack-wide vision — combining security reuse with hardware-accelerated scaling — gives Solayer a positioning edge if it can deliver on the roadmap.

Competition is heating up both on Solana and across L1s. EigenLayer still dominates ETH restaking, and several LRT protocols may explore Solana expansion. Solayer will need to stay agile and ship fast to retain mindshare. Its edge lies in combining native Solana integration with vertical product depth that other staking-focused projects lack.

Solayer’s InfiniSVM also enters the broader blockchain scaling race. It will compete for throughput-hungry applications against alternatives like improved Solana L1 performance or other high-speed networks and Layer-2s. Additionally, modular approaches (such as rollups and shared-security hubs) offer different paths to scale. Solayer’s challenge is to convince developers that its restaking sidechain offers a better combination of speed, security, and ease of use. Its advantage is that it builds on Solana’s existing validator security and programming model rather than starting from scratch. 

Nonetheless, proving this value in a landscape where projects have many scaling options will be critical for Solayer to stand out.

Other Details

In Season 1, Solayer allocated 12% of the total supply (120 million $LAYER tokens) to community members, integration partners, and liquidity providers, with over 250,000 unique addresses eligible. The Genesis Airdrop claim period for Season 1 began on February 11, 2025, and lasted until March 4, 2025, with unclaimed tokens redistributed for future airdrops.

Solayer has launched its Season 2 airdrop, introducing the Emerald Rewards program, which offers participants the opportunity to earn $LAYER tokens and other benefits by engaging with the Solayer ecosystem.