Solana Celebrates 5 Years with $1 Trillion in Trade Volume; Eyes Spot ETF Approval

Solana marked its 5th anniversary on March 16, 2020, since its mainnet launch, showcasing significant growth. The blockchain has processed nearly $1 trillion in trade volume across over 400 billion transactions. Currently, 1,300 validators secure the network, with over 254 million blocks generated. Solana's DeFi sector has over $7 billion in Total Value Locked, with stablecoin volume at $11 billion, peaking at $12.6 billion in February 2025. The platform attracted over 7,000 new developers last year, representing nearly 20% of all new blockchain developers. Analysts anticipate potential Solana spot ETF approvals, especially under a more crypto-friendly administration. Solaxy, a new Layer-2 solution built on Solana, has raised over $26.7 million in its presale, offering a discounted price of $0.00166 per SOLX and staking yields up to 153%.