SOL, the native cryptocurrency of the Solana blockchain, is one of the most popular altcoins circulating in the cryptocurrency market.
Knowing who the biggest SOL token holders are is important for full transparency and achieving total?decentralization, as the biggest SOL whales can often influence major decisions within the blockchain’s ecosystem.
So, who are the biggest SOL token holders?
Key Takeaways
Who Are The Biggest Solana Holders?
The actions of the biggest SOL token holders can significantly influence the market, as they have the power to sway a token’s price and liquidity.
“By understanding their behavior, we can better anticipate market movements and make informed decisions. It’s not just about market dynamics; it’s also about understanding the power structures within the Solana ecosystem.
“For example, Jump Crypto and Alameda Research own significant shares of SOL tokens. This gives them sway over governance decisions,” Dmitry Mishunin, the CEO of HashEx, told Techopedia.
According to data published on CoinMarketCap, Solana’s maximum supply is unlimited, meaning there is no cap on how many new SOL tokens can be created. As of September 26, 2024, the token’s total supply surpasses 585 million coins.
According to data published by CoinCarp, over 9.1 million wallet addresses hold SOL tokens as of September 2024.
The top 100 SOL token holders own 22% of the total tokens in circulation — a massive drop from more than 30% in June 2024.
Meanwhile, the top 10 SOL holders own 6.5% of the supply in September 2024 — a drop from 9% in November 2023.
The Top 10 SOL Wallets: Who Owns Solana?
# | Address | Balance of $SOL | USD Value (Sept 26, 2024) | % of Supply |
1 | MJKqp326RZCHnAAbew9MDdui3iCKWco7fsK9sVuZTX2 | 5,178,991 | $780,991,842.80 | 1.01% |
2 | 52C9T2T7JRojtxumYnYZhyUmrN7kqzvCLc4Ksvjk7TxD | 4,371,056 | $659,155,244.80 | 0.85% |
3 | 8BseXT9EtoEhBTKFFYkwTnjKSUZwhtmdKY2Jrj8j45Rt | 3,927,080 | $592,203,664.00 | 0.77% |
4 | GitYucwpNcg6Dx1Y15UQ9TQn8LZMX1uuqQNn8rXxEWNC | 3,628,341 | $547,153,822.80 | 0.71% |
5 | 9QgXqrgdbVU8KcpfskqJpAXKzbaYQJecgMAruSWoXDkM | 3,141,238 | $473,698,690.40 | 0.61% |
6 | 9uRJ5aGgeu2i3J98hsC5FDxd2PmRjVy9fQwNAy7fzLG3 | 2,870,045 | $432,647,586.00 | 0.56% |
7 | EJRJswH9LyjhAfBWwPBvat1LQtrJYK4sVUzsea889cQt | 2,794,681 | $421,229,262.80 | 0.55% |
8 | 53nHsQXkzZUp5MF1BK6Qoa48ud3aXfDFJBbe1oECPucC | 2,742,345 | $413,618,346.00 | 0.54% |
9 | 8PjJTv657aeN9p5R2WoM6pPSz385chvTTytUWaEjSjkq | 2,502,414 | $377,877,631.20 | 0.49% |
10 | AHB94zKUASftTdqgdfiDSdnPJHkEFp7zX3yMrcSxABsv | 2,502,414 | $377,877,631.20 | 0.49% |
While CoinCarp does not identify who owns the most Solana, Carlos Mercado, a data scientist at Flipside Crypto, speculated that many of these biggest holder addresses belong to either validators or cryptocurrency exchanges who own their tokens to delegates or customers.
“Nonetheless, early holders who are early validators had more of an opportunity to process blocks of Solana transactions, which earned
them more SOL rewards.
“Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks monitor their validators to limit the “rich get richer” phenomenon commonly associated with Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) mechanisms.”
Concentration of SOL Tokens
Mercado noted that there is usually “some tension between the concentration of token holders and the health of the network,” as significant concentration could scare off institutional buyers who could speculate that a cryptocurrency’s future growth could be captured by the top Solana holders selling their tokens.
“But these large holders are often true believers, who have held and accumulated tokens across both high and low price points. They validate the network, use the blockchain, invest in related projects, and have aligned incentives with the network.
With most crypto projects, you’ll see a noticeable concentration of token holders. This is natural as the industry is still maturing.”
HashEx’s Mishunin added:
“The concentration of SOL tokens among certain entities or individuals can be a double-edged sword for the Solana ecosystem. On one hand, it can lead to stability and long-term investment. On the other, it risks centralization, where a few powerful players could potentially manipulate the market or influence network decisions.”
He added that if the wallet holders who own the majority of SOL tokens decide to act together, they hold “tremendous power”.
“This concentration can impact the resilience and democratic nature of the network, making it a critical aspect to monitor for the ecosystem’s health.”
SOL Initial Distribution
Initially, the token was distributed in five funding rounds:
- 86% was allocated to Seed Sale
- 63% was allocated to Founding Sale
- 07% was allocated to Validator Sale
- 84% was allocated to Strategic Sale
- 60% was allocated to Public Auction Sale
- 50% was allocated to Team
- 50% was allocated to Foundation
- 38% as allocated to Community Reserve
Mishunin of HashEx explained:
“SOL’s initial token distribution was dominated by insiders and VC investors, with 48% going to the founding team and investors. The distribution strategy favored early adopters and investors, leading to a concentration of tokens among a few entities.
“This initial allocation has shaped the current ownership structure, making it essential to understand the genesis of these holdings to predict future market behaviors and the potential for decentralization.”
Institutional Investments in Solana’s Future
Institutional investments can bring credibility and mainstream acceptance to a cryptocurrency, allowing it to play a pivotal role in shaping where the future price of SOL could be headed.
“Institutions often have a long-term view, which can stabilize the market. However, their influence also shifts the power dynamics within the ecosystem, potentially leading to more centralized decision-making processes,” Mishunin said.
Big companies like Coinbase Ventures, Binance Labs, and Polychain Capital have previously invested in SOL. Their support has helped drive adoption, but they could also shape technical roadmaps to serve their interests.
Flipside Crypto’s Mercado added:
“Institutional investment is often treated as “exit liquidity” by early holders of tokens. That is, early holders believe that this new injection of money will increase token prices. This may be partially true, but more importantly, institutions are equipped to support the entire on-chain economy of Solana.”
In addition, institutional investments can help simplify access to protocols on the Solana network, like Jupiter for decentralized exchange (DEX) token swaps or Solend for lending or borrowing against one’s assets when institutional staking programs enable individuals to participate in DPoS.
The Bottom Line
Knowing who the largest SOL holders are could help investors understand the token’s distribution dynamics and potential centralization risks; meanwhile, monitoring concentration dynamics among key entities remains crucial for the health of the Solana ecosystem.
As SOL evolves, navigating the interplay between large holders, institutional interests, and market dynamics will shape its trajectory, impacting both short-term volatility and long-term sustainability.
FAQs
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References
- Sol?(Techopedia)
- Cryptocurrency?(Techopedia)
- Altcoins?(Techopedia)
- Us Securities And Exchange Commission?(Techopedia)
- Decentralization?(Techopedia)
- Blockchain’s?(Techopedia)
- Hashex?(Hashex)
- Data Published On Coinmarketcap?(Coinmarketcap)
- Data Published By Coincarp?(Coincarp)
- Flipside Crypto?(Flipsidecrypto)
- Validators?(Techopedia)
- Cryptocurrency Exchanges?(Techopedia)
- Proof-of-stake?(Techopedia)
- Delegated Proof-of-stake?(Techopedia)
- Blockchain?(Techopedia)
- Centralization?(Techopedia)
- Decentralized Exchange?(Techopedia)