Lily Liu on Solana’s Future: A Vision for Blockchain Beyond Hype

Lily Liu isn’t just a blockchain leader; she’s a trailblazer shaping how we think about crypto’s future. As President of the Solana Foundation, she’s driving one of the most exciting blockchain platforms toward a future where speed, usability, and real-world adoption transform how people interact with technology.

In a recent conversation, Liu cut through the noise to share bold insights into Solana’s identity, its technological breakthroughs, and the roadmap ahead. From the million transactions-per-second revolution to meme coins funding infrastructure, here’s what you need to know.

Solana: Blockchain Built for the Internet Age

For Liu, Solana’s story is about more than fast transactions (though sub-penny fees and 400ms settlement times are impressive). Solana’s mission is to deliver a seamless, Internet-like user experience, all while preserving the core values of decentralization and censorship resistance.

Her claim: Blockchain shouldn’t feel intimidating—it should feel invisible, just like the Internet.

Firedancer: A Million Transactions Per Second

What if a blockchain could handle 1 million transactions per second? That’s the long-term promise of Firedancer, Solana’s second core client, developed with Jump Crypto.

To put that into perspective:

  • Solana’s mainnet today processes 3,000 tps.

  • Tron: 2,000 tps.

  • Ethereum: 25 tps.

Liu calls it a game-changer. Firedancer isn’t just faster—it’s a leap toward making Solana one of the most scalable platforms on the planet.

On Real-World Impact: Stablecoins and Open Finance

Liu sees stablecoins as Solana’s most transformative use case. By offering global access to the U.S. dollar, stablecoins on Solana could redefine payments, credit, and financial services for billions.

Her vision? Blockchain-powered stablecoins as intuitive as mobile banking. It’s not just possible—it’s already happening.

Making Blockchain Invisible: Usability is Key

Blockchain is often seen as clunky and intimidating. Liu is on a mission to change that with Blockchain Links, a feature that lets users make Solana transactions directly from websites via browser wallets.

This marks a shift from infrastructure building to user-centric applications, paving the way for mainstream adoption.

On Meme Coins: Speculation or Serious Growth?

On meme coins, Liu doesn’t mince words:

They democratize investment opportunities for retail users.They’ve contributed $400M in validator fees to Solana this year alone.

Far from frivolous, meme coins play a surprising role in building blockchain infrastructure.

On AI Meets Blockchain: The New Frontier

For Liu, the convergence of AI and blockchain is the next big wave. Solana is exploring how these technologies can complement each other, from distributed AI compute networks to programmable digital economies. This isn’t just a trend—it’s the future of innovation.

The Road Ahead: A Unified Financial Ecosystem

Liu envisions Solana as a global financial settlement layer, unifying trading, payments, and financial services into one seamless ecosystem. But the goal is bigger than transactions—it’s about creating meaningful user experiences while staying true to open finance principles.