Solana is one of the fastest-growing blockchain networks. Its advantage lies mainly in its ability to process several thousand transactions per second, with an average transaction fee of only a fraction of a cent. This allows developers to launch applications that require heavy traffic and simultaneous user activity—such as games, DeFi platforms, or complex NFT systems. In 2025, Solana continues to attract interest from companies and enthusiasts because many users are looking for a cheaper alternative to networks like Ethereum. In recent months, several interesting projects have emerged that have gained popularity and high trading volumes. Below are the most important ones.
Serum – Decentralized Exchange on Solana
One of the first and still most recognizable projects on Solana is Serum. It is a decentralized exchange (DEX) using a traditional order book model, meaning users see buy and sell orders in a format similar to centralized exchanges. Serum was created to provide fast and cheap token trading on Solana without the need to go through centralized platforms. In 2025, Serum maintains high trading volume thanks to numerous trading pairs and support for projects within Solana’s ecosystem. Users appreciate its transparency—because every transaction goes directly on-chain, it is easy to verify the price and liquidity for any trading pair.
Raydium – Automated Market Maker and Liquidity Pools
Raydium is one of the most popular AMM (automated market maker) protocols on Solana. Since 2021 it has grown rapidly, and in 2025 it remains a leader in providing liquidity for users. Raydium allows depositing tokens into so-called liquidity pools, which enables others to execute instant swaps between two different tokens. Additionally, the project offers yield farming, meaning users can earn extra tokens by providing liquidity. It’s worth noting that Raydium integrates with Serum, allowing Raydium users to tap into Serum’s deeper order books for better pricing. As a result, fees stay low and price slippage remains minimal even for larger trades.
Orca – Simple AMM with Extra Features
Orca is another very popular AMM built with a simple and intuitive interface in mind. If someone is just starting their DeFi journey on Solana, Orca is often recommended because adding liquidity or swapping tokens is clear and straightforward. In 2025, Orca also introduced “whirlpools”—a concentrated liquidity pool where liquidity providers can allocate capital more efficiently within specific price ranges. Orca’s biggest strength is its community and relative ease of use: even less experienced users can handle their first transactions without any trouble.
Solend – Lending and Borrowing Protocol
Solend is the most widely used lending & borrowing protocol on Solana. It allows users to lend out and borrow tokens within a decentralized marketplace. In 2025, Solend maintains a strong position thanks to a wide range of supported assets (including SOL, USDC, and wBTC). Users can deposit their tokens as collateral and take out loans while earning interest on those deposits. With very low transaction fees and fast settlement, Solend is especially attractive for smaller amounts. It also features an automatic liquidation mechanism—if collateral value drops below a threshold, the protocol initiates a sale to protect the lending pool from losses.
Jet Protocol – An Alternative to Solend
Jet Protocol is another lending protocol that has been gaining popularity in 2025. Jet’s model uses “upstream” and “downstream” positions—anyone holding LP tokens from selected liquidity pools can use them as collateral (upstream) to borrow a stablecoin (downstream). Borrowers pay interest, which goes in part to liquidity providers. Jet Protocol also handles dynamic reserve management to minimize insolvency risk. Thanks to integration with major Solana AMMs (Raydium, Orca), users have access to deep liquidity and competitive rates.
Magic Eden – Solana’s Leading NFT Marketplace
Magic Eden is the largest and most recognized NFT marketplace on Solana. In 2025, it’s hard to find a digital art enthusiast who hasn’t heard of collections like Degen Ape Academy or Solana Monkey Business—those and many other projects thrive on Magic Eden. The platform enables NFT minting (creation), secondary-market trading, and participation in limited-edition drops. Magic Eden is known for its simple user interface, low fees, and large number of supported projects. Additionally, Magic Eden introduced a “Launchpad” tool that helps creators run pre-sales and distribute NFTs in a secure, transparent way.
Audius – Decentralized Music Streaming Platform
Audius began on Ethereum but has used Solana for several years now to speed up transaction finalization and lower costs. Audius is a decentralized music streaming platform where artists can publish their work without intermediaries like record labels or Spotify. In 2025, Solana supports a growing number of streams, and creators earn AUDIO tokens for plays and fan interactions. For listeners, the platform remains free; on-chain micropayments cover the streaming costs. This gives artists more control over distribution and monetization of their music.
Star Atlas – Metaverse Game with a Deep Economy
Star Atlas is one of the most ambitious gaming projects on Solana. It is a space-themed metaverse game in which players build fleets of ships, trade resources, explore planets, and fight for territory. Its robust economic model uses ATLAS tokens for in-game purchases and POLIS tokens for governance and voting. Thanks to its grand vision and dedicated community, Star Atlas attracts both gamers and investors. In 2025, developers introduced a new cooperative gameplay mode and NFTs representing unique ships and structures within the game. This drew in even more users who want to combine gaming fun with earning potential—following the popular play-to-earn model.
Solana Pay – Fast Crypto Payments
Solana Pay is a project aimed at retailers and service providers who want to accept cryptocurrency payments. In 2025, more and more shops and service locations are accepting payments in SOL, USDC, or USDT via Solana Pay, using on-chain settlement. The process works like this: the customer scans a QR code, enters the amount in fiat currency, and the wallet automatically converts it to the required tokens and sends the payment. All of this happens in a fraction of a second, with extremely low fees. For merchants, this means lower transaction costs compared to credit cards, and for customers, speed and convenience at checkout.
Jupiter – Liquidity Aggregator
Jupiter is a liquidity aggregator designed to find the best prices across various DEXs in Solana’s ecosystem. When a user wants to swap one token for another, Jupiter automatically splits the trade into parts and routes them across Raydium, Orca, Serum, and other protocols to minimize slippage and fees. In 2025, Jupiter has become synonymous with the lowest slippage and most cost-effective trades. Both high-volume traders and people swapping small amounts save time and money. Jupiter also constantly adds new features, such as support for regulated stablecoins (CBDCs) and a “cross-chain swap” module leveraging bridges like Wormhole.
What Else to Watch?
Besides the projects listed above, 2025 sees growth in on-chain AI platforms (for example, Fetch AI on Solana) and DePIN solutions that combine physical hardware with blockchain (for instance, Helium integrating with Solana). New initiatives continue to emerge, so if you’re interested in Solana’s ecosystem, following the latest news via Discord or Twitter groups is a good idea to stay current.
Summary
In 2025, Solana remains one of the fastest and cheapest blockchain networks. Projects like Serum, Raydium, Orca, Solend, and Magic Eden attract high trading volumes and vibrant communities, offering a wide range of services—from token trading and lending to NFTs and gaming. Additionally, solutions like Solana Pay and Jupiter make everyday payments and token swaps easier. If you plan to use Solana’s ecosystem for investing or building your own applications, it pays to learn about these projects and their unique capabilities. That way, you’ll better understand why Solana continues to gain new users and why so many teams choose to build there.
