Solana Staking Protocol Jito Secures $50M From a16z

a16z Leads $50M Funding for Solana Staking Protocol Jito

Jito Foundation, the team behind the Solana (SOL) staking ecosystem, has raised $50 million in a private token sale led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z crypto, the foundation announced Thursday.

The funds will be used to scale Jito Network’s validator technology, expand developer tools, and advance liquid staking solutions tailored to Solana’s architecture. Following the news, JITO climbed about 4%, trading at $1.17 at press time.

Key Products and Infrastructure

At the core of Jito’s operations are two main offerings: a validator client optimized for Solana’s high-speed network and JitoSOL, a liquid staking token with a market cap exceeding $3.2 billion. Together, they allow users to earn staking rewards while supporting fast, low-cost transactions across the Solana network.

With backing from a16z, an early Solana investor and one of crypto’s largest venture firms, Jito plans to grow its open-source tooling, attract new developers, and expand globally. The foundation is also building on its latest infrastructure launch, the Block Assembly Marketplace (BAM), introduced in September.

“This isn’t just about scaling,” said Brian Smith, president of Jito Foundation. “It’s about helping everyone on Solana extract more value while making the network more transparent and programmable.”

Bridging Crypto and Traditional Finance

The funding announcement comes shortly after a proposed VanEck JitoSOL ETF was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in August. If approved, the ETF would allow traditional investors regulated access to staking yields from JitoSOL, marking a step toward integrating Solana-native products into conventional finance.

“Jito is catalyzing growth for the entire Solana ecosystem,” said Ali Yahya, general partner at a16z crypto, highlighting the protocol’s role in building foundational tools like BAM and driving the next phase of Solana adoption.