Which Cryptos Are Based on Solana? Exploring the Power Behind the Fastest Blockchain in Web3

Introduction
In the fast-evolving landscape of blockchain technology, Solana has emerged as one of the most revolutionary platforms reshaping how we experience decentralized finance, NFTs, and high-performance crypto applications.

Unlike many other blockchains plagued by slow speeds, congestion, and high fees, Solana has carved a niche for itself by offering one of the fastest and most scalable infrastructures on the market.

It combines the power of its unique Proof-of-History (PoH) consensus mechanism with the efficiency of Tower BFT, creating an ecosystem where transactions are not only rapid but also incredibly cost-effective. As a result, developers around the world are flocking to Solana to build the next generation of decentralized applications (dApps).

From decentralized exchanges to automated market makers, from NFT platforms to real-time games, Solana has become the home for numerous innovative projects that are redefining the future of crypto. What sets Solana apart isn’t just its raw speed, but also the experience it delivers to users and developers alike. With near-instant block times of 0.4 seconds and transaction fees measured in fractions of a cent, it has succeeded where many legacy chains have struggled.

But Solana is more than just technical prowess. It’s an ecosystem thriving with real-world utility and diverse applications. Whether you're trading tokens on Serum, earning yields on Raydium, minting digital art on Magic Eden, or exploring the metaverse with Star Atlas, you're participating in a blockchain network optimized for performance and scale.

So which cryptocurrencies are actually built on Solana? What types of projects are leveraging its strengths to power their missions? In this blog, we’ll take a detailed look at seven standout projects built on the Solana blockchain.

Each of these tokens or platforms showcases how Solana's unique capabilities enable innovation, speed, and affordability in the Web3 space. Whether you're a crypto investor, NFT enthusiast, or just a curious explorer, this is your guide to understanding which cryptos are built on Solana—and why they matter.

1. Serum (SRM): A Lightning-Fast Decentralized Exchange

Serum is a flagship decentralized exchange (DEX) built on the Solana blockchain that has brought Wall Street-like speed and efficiency to decentralized finance.

Unlike many other DEXs built on Ethereum which suffer from high gas fees and slower execution, Serum uses Solana’s high-throughput infrastructure to facilitate trades with minimal latency and ultra-low costs. It was co-developed by FTX and Alameda Research before their collapse, but the Serum protocol itself remains a decentralized order book-based trading venue.

Unlike automated market makers (AMMs), which rely on liquidity pools, Serum features a central limit order book that matches buyers and sellers directly, offering a more traditional and efficient trading experience.

Because it’s built on Solana, Serum is capable of handling thousands of transactions per second, something Ethereum-based DEXs can only dream of. Traders benefit from better price discovery, lower slippage, and virtually instantaneous order execution.

Serum also acts as a backbone for other Solana-based DeFi protocols, many of which tap into its liquidity and order book system to run their own platforms. Its open-source nature encourages interoperability, allowing developers to integrate Serum’s core features into their own dApps.

Beyond just speed, Serum’s appeal lies in its composability—developers can build full-scale financial applications on top of it. This has led to an ecosystem where complex, high-frequency trading strategies can be executed on-chain.

Although SRM, the platform’s native token, saw price turbulence following FTX’s collapse, the tech infrastructure behind Serum remains active and decentralized, continuing to attract projects and users that value fast, efficient trading.

2. Raydium (RAY): Solana’s Premier Automated Market Maker

Raydium is a top-tier AMM and liquidity provider built directly on Solana, known for its ability to integrate with Serum’s central limit order book.

This hybrid functionality gives Raydium a unique advantage: while it provides liquidity pools like a traditional AMM, it also shares liquidity and order books with Serum, maximizing trading depth and efficiency. Users get the best of both worlds—easy liquidity farming and advanced order routing for better prices.

Because of Solana’s near-zero gas fees and blazing-fast speeds, Raydium can offer a trading and farming experience that’s seamless and cost-effective, making it a go-to hub for DeFi users on Solana.

Its user interface is friendly enough for DeFi beginners while offering the depth needed for experienced yield farmers. Raydium also plays a major role in launching new tokens through its "AcceleRaytor" launchpad, helping emerging Solana projects gain traction through Initial DEX Offerings (IDOs).

RAY, its native token, is used for governance, liquidity mining, and staking rewards. One of Raydium’s standout features is its composability—developers can build on top of it, tapping into its smart contracts to extend functionality or integrate liquidity directly into their own platforms.

This makes Raydium not just a product but a core infrastructure component of the Solana DeFi ecosystem. As Solana grows, so does Raydium, fueling a DeFi experience that's fast, fair, and scalable.

3. Solend (SLND): Lending and Borrowing Without the Bottlenecks

Solend is Solana’s answer to decentralized lending and borrowing platforms like Compound and Aave, but with a significant edge in speed and cost.

Built to leverage Solana’s throughput, Solend allows users to deposit crypto assets as collateral and borrow against them, all in a trustless, permissionless environment. With real-time interest rate adjustments and a user-friendly interface, Solend makes borrowing and earning interest on your crypto faster and more intuitive.

Solana’s low transaction fees are especially critical here. On Ethereum-based platforms, moving assets between wallets, vaults, and pools can eat up a significant portion of potential returns due to high gas fees.

With Solend, all these actions cost pennies—or even less. This opens up DeFi lending to a broader range of users, including those with smaller portfolios who may have been priced out of Ethereum-based services.

SLND, the protocol’s native governance token, gives holders the power to propose and vote on system upgrades, interest models, and risk parameters.

The Solend team has also focused on safety, using risk assessment tools and insurance mechanisms to help protect users from smart contract exploits or market crashes.

As the demand for DeFi lending continues to rise, Solend's presence on Solana positions it as a key player in the future of decentralized finance.

4. Star Atlas (ATLAS & POLIS): The Future of Blockchain Gaming

Star Atlas is one of the most ambitious metaverse games ever built—and it's being developed on the Solana blockchain.

This futuristic space exploration MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game combines real-time strategy, economics, and sci-fi lore into one immersive experience.

Players can explore galaxies, mine resources, engage in battle, build civilizations, and earn tokens along the way.

The reason Solana was chosen for Star Atlas lies in its ability to handle complex, data-heavy operations at scale.

Games like this require thousands of in-game actions to be validated quickly and cheaply, something Solana does better than most.

ATLAS, the in-game currency, is used for marketplace transactions, while POLIS acts as the governance token that gives players control over in-game policies and economics.

Unlike traditional games where assets are owned by the platform, Star Atlas lets players truly own their in-game ships, planets, and gear as NFTs on Solana.

These digital assets are tradeable, rentable, and usable across a decentralized economy.

The game has garnered attention from both gamers and investors for its bold vision and AAA-grade design, proving that Solana isn’t just for finance—it’s also the foundation for next-generation entertainment.

5. Orca (ORCA): Simple, User-Friendly Swapping on Solana

Orca is one of Solana’s leading decentralized exchanges focused on making crypto trading intuitive and easy.

While Serum and Raydium cater to more complex trading and yield farming, Orca simplifies the experience for users who just want to swap one token for another with minimal fuss.

Orca features an extremely clean interface, low slippage, and low fees—traits that have made it a favorite among beginner and mobile traders.

It uses a constant product market maker model, much like Uniswap, but with the added benefit of Solana’s fast finality and low transaction costs.

This means trades are executed almost instantly and at a fraction of a penny in cost. Orca also supports liquidity farming and offers a special "Fair Price Indicator" to help users avoid front-running and poor pricing.

The ORCA token is used for governance and rewards, and the platform has begun rolling out features like concentrated liquidity and custom pools. Orca’s mission revolves around making DeFi more humane—prioritizing transparency, education, and sustainability.

It’s this community-first approach, combined with technical excellence, that has cemented Orca’s place as a cornerstone of Solana DeFi.

6. Magic Eden: NFT Marketplace for the Solana Ecosystem

Magic Eden is the largest and most popular NFT marketplace on Solana, hosting thousands of collections ranging from digital art to in-game assets.

While Ethereum remains the dominant NFT chain, Magic Eden has shown that Solana can power a vibrant and diverse NFT economy without the high fees. It offers lightning-fast minting, trading, and listing of NFTs, with costs so low that artists and collectors alike are making the switch.

What sets Magic Eden apart is its dedication to community projects, its user-friendly interface, and its aggressive rollout of tools for creators.

Launchpad tools help new NFT collections get discovered, while advanced analytics and rarity rankings help collectors make informed decisions. Collections like Degenerate Ape Academy and Okay Bears have become blue-chip names, bringing prestige and volume to the Solana NFT scene.

Magic Eden is also exploring multichain capabilities but remains strongly rooted in Solana’s ecosystem. It has demonstrated how Solana’s infrastructure is not only ideal for financial applications but also perfect for media and culture.

As NFTs continue to grow as digital identity markers and cultural assets, Magic Eden ensures Solana has a seat at that table.

7. Marinade Finance (MNDE): Liquid Staking on Solana

Marinade Finance is the most well-known liquid staking protocol on Solana. Traditional staking often locks up assets, limiting liquidity. Marinade solves this by allowing users to stake SOL and receive a liquid token in return called mSOL.

This token can be freely traded, used in DeFi, or held, all while earning staking rewards. It’s a game-changer for capital efficiency in the Solana ecosystem.

Because Solana has no native liquid staking, Marinade fills a critical infrastructure gap. Its system is non-custodial and uses smart contracts to distribute stake across over 100 validators, enhancing decentralization and security. MNDE, the governance token, lets users vote on protocol upgrades and validator selections.

Marinade represents a significant piece of Solana’s DeFi infrastructure, allowing stakers to earn yield without sacrificing liquidity. It’s also helping to strengthen the overall health of the network by supporting decentralization and validator diversity.

As more users opt for liquid staking, Marinade is poised to become one of Solana’s most impactful DeFi tools.

8. Hivecoin is now taking full advantage of the Solana blockchain

Markethive is pioneering a new approach to cryptocurrency transactions and advertising. 

Markethive’s Hivecoin is quickly emerging as a next-generation utility token designed to power a self-sustaining ecosystem for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and content creators.

Built to serve as the fuel of Markethive’s Web3-based social market network, Hivecoin is now taking full advantage of the Solana blockchain to deliver faster, cheaper, and more scalable transactions to its global user base. By leveraging Solana’s ultra-efficient Proof-of-History and Tower BFT consensus mechanisms, Markethive enables

Hivecoin to be transferred at lightning speed, with transaction costs reduced to fractions of a cent.

This strategic move solves one of the most frustrating bottlenecks in the crypto world—Ethereum’s prohibitively high gas fees and slower processing times.

On platforms like Ethereum, sending tokens between wallets, engaging in smart contracts, or using DeFi tools often eats into user profits due to network congestion and cost unpredictability. In contrast, using Solana allows Hivecoin holders to transact, stake, tip, and reward with near-instant finality and negligible fees.

This is especially critical in a creator-driven economy like Markethive’s, where users frequently exchange small amounts of crypto for services, content promotion, or community engagement.

Solana ensures that such microtransactions remain economically viable, enabling everyday users to participate without worrying about losing value to fees. Additionally, Solana’s scalable infrastructure supports tens of thousands of transactions per second, ensuring that Markethive’s platform remains responsive and future-proof as its global community expands.

Hivecoin’s deployment on Solana doesn’t just enhance speed—it transforms usability, turning Hivecoin into a practical digital currency for real-time, peer-to-peer value exchange in a decentralized social media economy.

At the crossroads of innovation, where the worlds of inbound marketing and blockchain technology converge, lies Markethive, a platform that is rewriting the rules of engagement.

It's not just a platform; it's a visionary approach that melds the power of inbound marketing, the potential of blockchain technology, and the strength of a vibrant community, all fueled by its very own cryptocurrency, ‘Hivecoin.'

This cryptocurrency isn't just a digital token; it's a symbol of collaboration and a medium of exchange for ideas, services, and value.—Hivecoin is poised to become the heartbeat of this new digital frontier, with Solana as its high-performance highway.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion 
The Solana blockchain has proven to be more than just another smart contract platform—it’s a lightning-fast, low-cost, high-throughput ecosystem where innovation thrives. From DeFi platforms like Serum, Raydium, and Solend to GameFi legends like Star Atlas, and NFT hubs like Magic Eden, the projects built on Solana reflect the diversity, ambition, and usability of this powerful network.

Each of these cryptos and platforms brings a unique dimension to the Solana ecosystem, highlighting the scalability and real-world utility that set it apart from competitors.

Solana’s architecture—based on Proof-of-History, Tower BFT, and parallel transaction processing—offers more than hype. It offers a genuine alternative to the congestion, high gas fees, and lag that plague many other blockchains.

Developers benefit from its composability, while users enjoy seamless and affordable transactions that power everything from trading to gaming to digital ownership.

In a world where the future of Web3 depends on performance and user experience, Solana shines as a blockchain ready for the next generation of internet applications. Whether you're trading on Serum, farming on Raydium, borrowing on Solend, or building your digital legacy through NFTs on Magic Eden, you’re part of a thriving, forward-looking movement.

As the crypto world continues to evolve, keep your eyes on Solana. Its community, ecosystem, and innovations are just getting started. With so many groundbreaking projects already live—and many more on the horizon—Solana is shaping up to be not only a competitor to Ethereum but a foundational layer of the decentralized internet we’ve all been waiting for.

The choice is yours—make it count.

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

About: Andries vanTonder

Over 46 years selfemployed 

He is a Serial Entrepreneur, an Enthusiastic supporter of Blockchain Technology and a Cryptocurrency Investor

Find me: Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account  | My Instagram Acount  | and my Facebook Profile.