According to Odaily, Solana's atomic SVM Layer 2 Sonic has announced that its testnet, Odyssey, has reached 300,000 wallets and surpassed 52 million transactions. The company has also revealed plans for an upgrade scheduled for 5 AM UTC on July 3rd. During the six-hour upgrade period, on-chain interactions on the Odyssey will be temporarily suspended. Once the upgrade is completed, a new ring lottery task will be launched on Odyssey. This development is expected to enhance the functionality and user experience of the platform. The significant growth in the number of wallets and transactions indicates the increasing popularity and adoption of the Sonic platform. The upcoming upgrade and the introduction of new features are anticipated to further boost its performance and user engagement.

According to Foresight News, Solayer, a staking protocol in the Solana ecosystem, has announced the completion of its builder round financing. The specific investment amount has not been disclosed. Investors include Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana Labs, Michael Repetny, a core contributor to Marinade, Rooter, founder of Solend, Richard Wu, co-founder of Tensor, crypto KOL Ansem, and Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon. In May, Foresight News reported that three venture capitalists familiar with the situation stated that Solayer hoped to complete a seed round of financing valued at $80 million with an $8 million investment.

According to Odaily, Solana's NFT platform Metaplex has announced that its DAO has entered a new phase. In June, the Metaplex protocol used 50% of its May fees (4490 SOL) and some historical fees (5510 SOL) to purchase MPLX, contributing a total of 3.8 million MPLX to the Metaplex DAO. The protocol generated a total of 8735 SOL in fees in June. Earlier in March, Metaplex announced the launch of a new NFT standard on the Solana chain, Core, which has already been launched on Devnet. Core, specifically designed for NFTs, supports storing key data in a single chain account, thereby reducing computational requirements, increasing throughput, and helping to improve the efficiency of the Solana network. The Core is fully supported by the Metaplex developer platform and can be seamlessly integrated with a set of SDKs and utilities. It is planned to be launched on the main network next week, with additional support from Candy Machine, DAS, Umi, and Amman. In addition, Metaplex announced that 50% of the protocol fees will be used to purchase MPLX tokens and send them to the Metaplex DAO, which includes all historical and future fees.

According to Odaily, Raydium, an Automated Market Maker (AMM) platform based on Solana, has announced its support for the Blink creation feature for all assets. This new development allows users to create blockchain links, known as Blinks, for any token and start earning a 1% referral fee. The announcement was made on platform X, further expanding the capabilities of the Solana-based AMM platform. This move is expected to enhance the user experience by providing more flexibility and opportunities for earnings. The Blink creation feature is a significant addition to the platform, allowing users to create blockchain links for any token. This feature not only increases the utility of the platform but also provides an additional income stream for users through the 1% referral fee. This development underscores Raydium's commitment to continually improving its platform and providing its users with more opportunities to earn. It also highlights the growing popularity and utility of Solana-based platforms in the blockchain industry.

According to Odaily, MoonPay, a cryptocurrency payment infrastructure, reported that Solana achieved several historic highs in June. These records include the number of SOL purchase transactions, the volume of purchases, and the number of unique buyers, all of which reached unprecedented levels. The report was published on platform X. Solana's performance in June marks a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency, reflecting increased interest and investment in SOL. The surge in the number of transactions and unique buyers indicates a growing user base and a broader acceptance of the cryptocurrency. MoonPay's report underscores the growing popularity of Solana and the increasing adoption of its SOL cryptocurrency. However, it did not provide specific figures for the record highs. The report was published on platform X, but no further details were provided about the platform or the nature of the publication.

According to BlockBeats, Tom Wan, a strategic analyst at 21.co, cited data from Dune on July 1st, indicating that Solana's liquidity pledge rate has risen to 6.58%. This represents a quarter-on-quarter increase of 1.76% in Q2. Furthermore, the dominance of the top three providers has dropped from 93% to 68.7%, suggesting a healthier and more diversified market. The data provided by Tom Wan offers a clear indication of the changing dynamics within the Solana market. The increase in the liquidity pledge rate and the decrease in dominance of the top providers suggest a shift towards a more balanced and diverse market. This could potentially lead to a more stable and resilient market in the future. The shift in dominance from the top three providers to a more diversified set of players is a positive sign for the Solana market. It indicates a move away from a concentrated market, which can often lead to instability and volatility. Instead, the market is moving towards a more balanced distribution of power, which is generally seen as a healthier state for any market. In conclusion, the rise in Solana's liquidity pledge rate and the decrease in the dominance of the top three providers are positive signs for the market. They indicate a move towards a healthier and more diversified market, which could potentially lead to greater stability and resilience in the future.

According to BlockBeats, Solana's decentralized exchange (DEX), Jupiter, has integrated PayPal's stablecoin, PYUSD, as of July 1. The integration will allow PYUSD to be available across all payment platforms integrated with Jupiter, including Sphere Labs and Helio Pay. The integration of PYUSD into Jupiter's ecosystem is a significant development, as it expands the range of digital assets available on the platform. It also provides users with more options for transactions, potentially increasing the platform's user base and transaction volume. The integration of PYUSD into Jupiter's ecosystem is a significant development, as it expands the range of digital assets available on the platform. It also provides users with more options for transactions, potentially increasing the platform's user base and transaction volume. The integration of PayPal's stablecoin into Jupiter's platform also signifies a growing trend of traditional financial institutions venturing into the digital asset space. This move could potentially pave the way for more collaborations between traditional financial institutions and blockchain-based platforms in the future.

According to Foresight News, Sanctum, a protocol within the Solana ecosystem, has announced that all user profiles have been temporarily locked. This means that users are currently unable to create or modify existing profiles, including editing linked wallets and social information. The only function available at this time is the viewing feature. Previously, Sanctum had launched Sanctum Profiles in a beta version, allowing users to create personal profiles on their website and link wallets and social media. In the short term, these profiles were intended to serve as a standard for their upcoming token, CLOUD. The long-term goal, however, is to enable users to establish their own identity and reputation within the community.

According to Foresight News, the floor price of Solana's NFT series, Mad Lads, has rebounded to over 100 SOL, currently standing at 106.7 SOL. This represents a 24-hour increase of 13.65%. The data was provided by Magic Eden. Solana's ecosystem continues to show strong performance in the NFT market.

According to U.Today, Solana has surpassed Ethereum in daily DEX trading volume, as per data from DefiLlama. Solana recorded a trading volume of $1.148 billion, while Ethereum managed $745 million. Solana-based platforms such as Raydium, Meteora, Orca, Phoenix, and Lifinity are among the top 10 DEXes by daily trading volume, although Uniswap and PancakeSwap still lead the pack. Patrick Scott, the founder of Dynamo DeFi, noted that Solana's DEX volume dominance is increasing and is set to exceed the 25% mark for the first time in June. DEX volume overall reached $26 billion over the past week, according to Dune Analytics. Earlier this year, trading on Solana-based DEXex saw a surge due to the rising popularity of meme coins. Solana, often referred to as the 'Ethereum killer', is also gaining traction due to growing interest in ETFs. New York-based investment firm VanEck recently filed to launch an ETF for Solana, followed by 21Shares with its own filing for the altcoin. However, analysts caution that approval for these ETFs may not be imminent. Despite an initial price surge due to the ETF hype, Solana's price has dipped slightly by 0.2% over the past two weeks. Currently, the altcoin is valued at $65.2 billion, according to CoinGecko, placing it fifth in terms of market capitalization, behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and BNB.

According to Odaily, SolanaFloor has announced on platform X that over 500 million Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have been minted on the Solana blockchain. A significant portion of these NFTs have been created using a new compression standard. In addition to this, the total number of collections has exceeded 100,000, and the number of collection addresses has surpassed 49 million. This indicates a significant increase in the use of the Solana blockchain for NFT creation and trading. The new compression standard being used for the majority of these NFTs represents a significant development in the NFT space. This could potentially lead to more efficient storage and transfer of NFTs, making the Solana blockchain an increasingly attractive platform for NFT creators and collectors. The surge in NFT minting on Solana is indicative of the growing popularity of NFTs and the increasing adoption of blockchain technology in various sectors. The use of a new compression standard could further enhance the efficiency and scalability of NFT transactions on the Solana blockchain.

According to U.Today, Zhu Su, co-founder of Three Arrows Capital hedge fund, has recently drawn attention to the performance of the Grayscale Solana Trust. He suggests that it could indicate a future value of Solana reaching $1,000 per SOL. This projection is based on a comparison with the historical performance of Ethereum and the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), which was used as a benchmark. Grayscale's trusts function by allowing investors to gain exposure to digital currencies through a traditional investment vehicle, bypassing the challenges of buying, storing, and safekeeping digital assets directly. Each share of the trust represents a fraction of the cryptocurrency held by the trust, and the value of the shares can trade at a premium or discount to the underlying asset's market value. Four years ago, when Ethereum was trading at around $200, the Grayscale Ethereum Trust implied a value of $1,000 per ETH. This significant premium indicated strong investor confidence and future price expectations. Ethereum's price eventually caught up with these projections, experiencing substantial growth in subsequent years. This pattern suggests a potential roadmap for Solana. The comparison of Solana to Ethereum's early days, when it was also emerging as a significant platform, is noteworthy. If SOL follows a similar trajectory, the implied value suggested by the Grayscale Solana Trust could be realized. While past performance is not a guarantee of future results, the historical context offers a compelling narrative of Solana's growth prospects, making the $1,000 target a topic of interest in the community.

According to Odaily, Jupiter, a decentralized exchange (DEX) within the Solana ecosystem, has announced an upgrade to the V3 version of its Terminal. The Terminal, described as a streamlined open-source version of Jupiter, has introduced new features such as instant routing, intelligent token filtering, and an ecosystem token list. These enhancements aim to improve the user experience and functionality of the platform. The instant routing feature allows for quicker transactions, while the intelligent token filtering aids users in navigating the vast array of tokens available. The ecosystem token list provides a comprehensive overview of all tokens within the Solana ecosystem, further simplifying the process for users. This upgrade underscores Jupiter's commitment to continuous improvement and user-centric design.

According to Foresight News, data from Solscan reveals that the average transactions per second (TPS) for Solana in the first half of 2024 was approximately 2200. The success rate of these transactions exceeded 80%. This indicates a robust performance of the Solana network, with a high volume of transactions being processed successfully.

According to Odaily, Matt Sigel, the head of digital asset research at VanEck, has stated that the changing regulatory landscape in the United States has increased the chances of approval for the SOL ETF more than ever before. VanEck aims to be among the first batch of candidates reviewed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as historically, most products have been approved on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to U.Today, New York-based investment firm VanEck has proposed the launch of a spot Solana ETF, named the VanEck Solana Trust. The fund aims to offer direct exposure to SOL by valuing its shares daily using prices from selected trading platforms. This move aligns with the recent SEC approval of Bitcoin ETFs and the ongoing approval of several spot Ethereum ETFs, including one from VanEck. Anthony Pompliano, a prominent figure in the industry, highlighted the ETF filing as evidence that altcoins are gaining traction on Wall Street. He suggested that cryptocurrencies are increasing volatility and risk in public markets, reinforcing the notion that more institutions are showing interest in digital assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart expressed caution, noting potential regulatory obstacles. Seyffart mentioned that despite VanEck's filing for the Solana ETF, its launch could be delayed depending on political developments. He pointed out that a formal 19b-4 filing, crucial for setting a timeline, is not yet available, indicating that the launch might not occur until mid-March 2025 at the earliest. Looking forward, there are several questions regarding the regulatory environment and the timeline for approval. The key aspect to monitor is how market dynamics and investor sentiment will shift as more altcoin ETF proposals are evaluated.

According to Odaily, analyst Eric Balchunas has suggested that the approval of a Solana ETF within the next 12 months is closely tied to the possibility of a change in the US presidency. Balchunas further indicated that although the Solana ETF will not receive approval this year, changes in the US presidency and the leadership of the US Securities and Exchange Commission could make anything possible in 2025.

According to Foresight News, Solana's derivative protocol, Drift, has reported that since its integration with Ondo, the deposits of USDY have exceeded 2 million. This significant increase in deposits indicates the growing popularity and acceptance of the protocol among users. The integration with Ondo has evidently played a crucial role in this surge, enhancing the functionality and usability of the Drift protocol on the Solana ecosystem. Further details about the integration or its impact on the overall performance of the protocol were not provided.

According to Odaily, the decentralized prediction market platform Hedgehog has introduced support for Solana Blinks. This development allows users to place bets directly on the prediction market on the X platform. The news was later confirmed by the official Hedgehog account, indirectly verifying the authenticity of the information. The integration of Solana Blinks into the Hedgehog platform is a significant step in expanding the capabilities of the decentralized prediction market. Users can now directly engage with the prediction market on the X platform, enhancing the overall user experience and functionality of the platform. This move also signifies the growing influence of Solana Blinks in the decentralized market space.

According to Foresight News, Wormhole has announced that it has received a grant from the Worldcoin Foundation. The funding will be used to expand the Worldcoin World ID into the Solana ecosystem. The move is seen as a significant step towards integrating Worldcoin's services into a broader range of platforms and enhancing its reach in the digital space. The details of the grant, including the amount and terms, were not disclosed in the announcement. The Solana ecosystem is a high-performance blockchain that supports builders around the world in creating crypto apps that scale. The integration of Worldcoin World ID into this ecosystem could potentially increase the accessibility and usability of Worldcoin's services. This news follows a series of similar initiatives by other companies aiming to expand their digital footprint through strategic partnerships and funding.