a16z Invests $50M in Solana Staking Protocol Jito
Jito Foundation, the protocol supporting Solana (SOL), has raised $50 million in a private token sale led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z crypto, the foundation announced Thursday.
The funding will support scaling Jito Network’s validator technology, expanding developer tools, and developing liquid staking solutions optimized for Solana. Following the announcement, JITO rose about 4%, trading at $1.17 at press time.
Core Offerings and Infrastructure
Jito’s ecosystem revolves around two primary products: a validator client optimized for Solana’s high-speed network and JitoSOL, a liquid staking token with a market cap exceeding $3.2 billion. These tools allow users to earn staking rewards while enabling fast, low-cost transactions on the network.
With backing from a16z, an early Solana investor, Jito plans to expand open-source tooling, onboard new developers, and grow globally. The protocol is also building on its Block Assembly Marketplace (BAM), launched in September, which aims to enhance Solana’s infrastructure and developer ecosystem.
“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.”
Connecting Crypto to Traditional Finance
The funding comes shortly after a proposed VanEck JitoSOL ETF was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in August. If approved, it would offer traditional investors regulated access to staking yields from JitoSOL, bridging Solana-native products with conventional finance.
“Jito is catalyzing growth for the entire Solana ecosystem,” said Ali Yahya, general partner at a16z crypto, emphasizing the protocol’s role in building foundational tools like BAM and driving Solana’s next phase of adoption.
