In 2025, the Solana ecosystem saw a mix of activities related to hype, hardware, and high-impact upgrades, marking one of the chain’s most memorable years yet.

The year began with a full-blown memecoin mania, where speculative energy and hype ignited onchain activity. This wave followed on the heels of the late 2024 rise of BONK, which boosted memecoin activity after some arbitrage traders appeared to be chasing the token airdrop given to every Solana mobile owner.

This feature is a part of CoinDesk's Most Influential 2025 list.

By early 2025, the memecoin trend exploded further as the memecoin named for — and financially tied to — U.S. President Donald Trump (TRUMP) flooded X and Solana’s trading apps. The momentum, which was part humor, part community spectacle, helped push Solana into the mainstream narrative once again. (The TRUMP token eventually collapsed and is down 87% from its all-time high.)

Shortly thereafter, the memecoin mania hit a turning point by February after a massive international scandal (unveiled by CoinDesk) revealed that the LIBRA token’s co-creator Hayden Davis bribed Argentinian President Javier Milei’s sister and close advisor to convince Milei to promote the token on social media, bringing the entire memecoin ecosystem into a cooling-off phase.

In the background of the LIBRA chaos, Solana’s developer ecosystem pressed forward with tangible innovation. The Solana Mobile team rolled out its second-generation crypto phone, the Seeker, designed specifically for onchain trading and Web3 usage. With built-in wallet integration, a dApp store, and DeFi support, the Seeker reflected Solana’s goal to merge crypto functionality with consumer tech, expanding accessibility and usability for both traders and developers.

Looking ahead, the much-anticipated Alpenglow upgrade looms large. Expected to reduce transaction finality to sub-second speeds while cutting validator costs, Alpenglow could dramatically improve scalability and reliability. With nearly unanimous community approval, it’s set to cement Solana’s position as one of crypto’s most performant and developer-driven ecosystems.

From memecoin mayhem to real hardware innovation and cutting-edge upgrades, Solana’s 2025 has proven that its builders and its culture continue to keep its ecosystem in crypto’s cultural zeitgeist.