Where Solana Stake Validates Other Chains, Execution Layers & Cross-Chain Services
Direct L1 Extension: MagicBlock, Neon EVM — Solana validators validate all txs, settlement to Solana
Separate Chain with SOL Stake: Sonic, Picasso IBC — Independent consensus, SOL stake provides security
Restaking: Jito NCN, Solayer — Reuse SOL stake to secure additional services beyond mainnet
Separate Chains, No SOL Stake: Eclipse, SOON, Atlas — Use SVM execution, settle to other chains, independent validator sets
Token Inflation: Sonic 20% supply (480M SONIC), SOON 3% annual
Commission-Based: Neon 10% default, Sonic 0-20% delegation
MEV-Enhanced: Jito +1.2-1.8% APY, Solayer 7.6-8% total
Session/Settlement Fees: MagicBlock ephemeral, Eclipse sequencing
Passive Liquid Restaking: Fragmetric LRT, no validator operation
Very Low: Fragmetric/Solayer (liquid restaking, no minimum stake)
Low: Neon EVM (proxy software, ~200 SOL/month operational)
Medium: Jito NCN (NCN-dependent, performance criteria), MagicBlock (evolving model)
High: Sonic (500K SONIC stake, $500-3K/month opex)
Very High: Eclipse (concentrated sequencer set, undisclosed requirements)
Protocols that reuse Solana stake to secure additional services beyond mainnet. Combined TVL: $1.173B (May 2026).
Orthogonal: Multi-NCN framework, $2.5B annual MEV distribution via TipRouter, 95%+ validator adoption
TVL: $227M across 9 VRTs | Revenue: ~7% APY + 1.2-1.8% MEV premium | Live NCNs: TipRouter (MEV), Switchboard (oracles)
Multi-asset support, customizable slashing, $30M+ annual network revenue
Orthogonal: Largest Solana restaking ($346M TVL), endogenous AVS focus (on-chain dApps via swQoS)
Revenue: 7.6-8.12% APY verified | Entry: Any amount SOL/LST, zero fees | Non-custodial, performance-based AVS selection
Emphasizes Solana-native dApps vs EigenLayer's off-chain services model
Orthogonal: ONLY protocol directly securing external chains via Solana stake, IBC light client validation
Validates: Cosmos, Ethereum, Polkadot | Bond: 25 SOL | Revenue: 40% of cross-chain transfer fees
Direct external L1 validation (not just Solana-native services)
Orthogonal: First to solve multi-reward distribution via SPL token transfer hooks, $300M+ TVL
Mechanism: mSOL/jitoSOL/bSOL → fragSOL LRT | Revenue: SOL staking + MEV + NCN yields | Entry: No minimum, passive
80K+ participants, 100% revenue → FRAG buybacks, Jito/Solayer/Cambrian integration
Orthogonal: Modular security layer SDK for NCN/AVS development, EigenLayer-inspired but Solana-adapted
Type: Developer infrastructure, not standalone restaking protocol | Integration: Works with Jito, Solayer, Fragmetric
Enables custom NCN/AVS creation with granular security parameters
SVM-based execution environments extending Solana or other L1s. Only MagicBlock, Sonic, Neon use SOL stake for validation.
Orthogonal: On-demand temporary execution, 10-50ms latency, near-zero tx cost during sessions
Architecture: Ephemeral SVM validators (off-chain) → settle to Solana | Use cases: FlashTrade (DeFi), Supersize.gg (gaming), dTelecom
Validators: Lightweight TEE instances (Asia/EU/US operational)
Orthogonal: 30-40x Solana L1 throughput, HyperGrid atomic settlement, gaming-optimized
Token: 2.4B SONIC (20% to validators) | Revenue: 21.27% APR verified | Stake: 500K SONIC (proposed 50K reduction)
Dual model: HyperGrid validators + HyperFuse Guardian nodes
Orthogonal: Full Solidity/Web3/ERC-20 on Solana mainnet, no separate chain
Validator: Whitelisted proxy operators (→ permissionless) | Revenue: 10% default commission | Entry: ~200 SOL/month operational
No slashing (operational cost risk only), Solana wallet support (Jan 2025)
Orthogonal: First Ethereum L2 using SVM execution, Celestia DA, RISC Zero fraud proofs
Status: TVL ~$1.4M (down 95%), restructuring (65% staff cut) | Validator: Concentrated sequencer set (undisclosed requirements)
Competition from SOON/Atlas, loss of Solana-on-Ethereum monopoly
Orthogonal: First decoupled SVM rollup, 50ms blocks, 3% inflation, configurable L1 settlement
Validator: $SOON token staking (separate from SOL) | Settlement: Ethereum (expandable to other L1s) | Funding: $22M raised
Direct Eclipse competitor for Ethereum L2 market
Orthogonal: 50ms state merklization slots, verifiable finance optimization, Ethereum L2
Status: Private testnet, validator economics undisclosed | Expected: Separate token for validator staking
Optimized for DeFi and traditional finance transparency
Orthogonal: First ZK rollup on Bitcoin using SVM execution
Validator: EigenLayer AVS (Ethereum restaking, NOT Solana stake) | Settlement: Bitcoin | Status: Mainnet roadmap 2026
Uses SVM execution but secured by Ethereum restaking
Orthogonal: Gaming L1 (not L2), permissioned validator set, 18-24mo decentralization timeline
Anchor: Star Atlas game | Validator: Invitation-only, 5% to DAO validator | Status: Mainnet launched (gradual decentralization)
Independent L1 using SVM, separate validator set
| Protocol | APY/APR | Model | Entry Barrier | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic | 21.27% | Token staking (SONIC) | High (500K SONIC) | Live |
| Solayer | 7.6-8.12% | Liquid restaking (sSOL) | Very Low (any amount) | Live |
| Jito | 7-9% | Base + MEV premium | Medium (NCN-dependent) | Live |
| Fragmetric | SOL+MEV+NCN | LRT aggregator | Very Low (passive) | Live |
| Neon EVM | 10% commission | Proxy operator | Low (~200 SOL/mo) | Live |
| SOON | 3% inflation | Token staking (SOON) | Medium (undisclosed) | Alpha |
| MagicBlock | Undisclosed | Session fees | Medium (evolving) | Live |
| Eclipse | Undisclosed | Sequencer fees | Very High (concentrated) | Declining |
| Category | Protocols | How SOL Stake is Used |
|---|---|---|
| Direct External Chain Validation | Picasso IBC | 25 SOL bond to validate Cosmos/Ethereum/Polkadot via IBC light clients, 40% transfer fees |
| Solana-Native Services Only | Jito NCN, Solayer, Fragmetric | Oracles, MEV distribution, keeper networks, on-chain dApps — services FOR Solana, not external L1 validation |
| Separate Validator Sets (NOT SOL) | Eclipse, SOON, Atlas, Yona, Zink | Use SVM execution but settle to other chains (Ethereum, Bitcoin) with independent validator sets using separate tokens |
Used by: Jito NCN operators, Solayer validators, Neon proxies (via RPC), MagicBlock ephemeral validators
Specs: 12+ cores, 256GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, 1 Gbps | NEW (May 2026): ASN <25% network stake, data center <15% concentration
Used by: Jito NCN (TipRouter 6% of MEV tips), Solayer (MEV-boosted yields), validators (1.2-1.8% premium)
Impact: $674M paid out (2024), ~50% of Solana REV, $2.5B annual via TipRouter
Used by: Fragmetric (mSOL/jitoSOL/bSOL → fragSOL), Picasso IBC (restaked LSTs), Solayer (sSOL)
Benefit: Maintain liquidity while restaking, DeFi composability
Used by: Fragmetric (multi-reward distribution), Jito VRTs (NCN-specific rewards)
Innovation: Separate claimable rewards via transfer hooks
| Category | Protocols | Slashing Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Active Slashing (Live) | Sonic, MagicBlock, Jito NCN, Picasso IBC | Malicious activity, fraud proof failures, invalid cross-chain proofs | Delegator stake at risk |
| NO Slashing | Neon EVM, Fragmetric, Solayer | Operational cost risk only (Neon), delegated models with indirect risk via underlying protocols |
| Planned / Undisclosed | Eclipse, Solana mainnet | Ethereum L2 model (likely slashing planned), SIMD-0204 in progress (no active slashing yet as of May 2026) |
1. Jito NCN: 95%+ adoption, $2.5B MEV distribution, multi-NCN support, verified earnings (~7% + 1.2-1.8% MEV)
2. Solayer: Low barrier, 7.6-8% APY, flexible staking, zero fees
3. Neon EVM: Low overhead, 10% commission, permissionless transition upcoming
Eclipse: TVL down 95%, restructuring, unclear validator path
MagicBlock: Evolving revenue model, unclear stake requirements
SOON/Atlas/Yona: Separate validator sets (not SOL stake integration)
1. Fragmetric fragSOL: $300M+ TVL, multi-protocol aggregation, SPL token innovation
2. Solayer sSOL: Largest restaking TVL ($346M), 7.6-8% APY, zero fees
3. Jito JitoSOL: 95%+ validator adoption, MEV-boosted, TipRouter integration
Picasso IBC: Only protocol using SOL stake to directly validate external chains (Cosmos/Ethereum/Polkadot)
Jito NCN: Architecture supports multi-chain NCNs (not yet deployed)
Solayer: Exogenous AVS (currently bridges INTO Solana, not OUT to secure other L1s)
Most "cross-chain" claims refer to bridged assets INTO Solana, not Solana validators securing other chains
SVM L2s (Eclipse, SOON, Atlas) use separate validator sets despite SVM execution