[PRESS RELEASE – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 19th, 2024]

Marinade Finance Makes Strategic Investment in SuperSol to Boost Solana’s Growth and Enhance Layer-2 Capabilities.

The Solana ecosystem has been witnessing rapid growth and evolution, with demand for scalability, performance, and real-time capabilities reaching new heights. This growth is driven not only by traditional decentralized finance (DeFi) applications but also by the rise of emerging sectors like GameFi (gaming on blockchain) and Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN). In response to these expanding needs, Marinade Finance, a prominent self-custodial staking protocol on the Solana network, has made a strategic investment in SuperSol, the first native Layer-2 scaling solution for Solana. Marinade enables SOL holders to automatically delegate their tokens to top-performing validators in a competitive open marketplace, optimizing yields by allowing validators to share fees directly with stakers.

Strengthening Solana’s Infrastructure for a New Era

SuperSol, designed to significantly enhance Solana’s scalability and performance, aims to address the growing demand for efficient and reliable infrastructure that can support the next wave of decentralized applications (dApps). With a primary focus on sectors such as GameFi, which combines gaming with decentralized finance, and DePIN, which utilizes decentralized networks for physical infrastructure, SuperSol is poised to become a critical component in the future of the Solana blockchain.

The investment by Marinade Finance is seen as a crucial move to help SuperSol accelerate its development and adoption. By supporting innovations like SuperSol, Marinade is positioning itself at the forefront of the efforts to improve Solana’s Layer-1 and Layer-2 capabilities, ensuring that the network can handle the next generation of dApps and meet the increasing demand for high-performance, low-cost, and scalable solutions.

The Role of Marinade Finance in the Solana Ecosystem

Founded in 2021, Marinade Finance has quickly established itself as one of the most prominent players in the Solana ecosystem. The platform allows users to automatically stake SOL tokens, Solana’s native cryptocurrency, while receiving mSOL, a liquid staking derivative. mSOL allows users to earn staking rewards while maintaining liquidity, enabling them to participate in other DeFi activities without locking their assets.

Through this innovative approach to staking, Marinade Finance has significantly contributed to the overall growth and decentralization of the Solana network. By providing liquidity to staked assets, Marinade enables participants to earn staking rewards without locking their assets, thereby supporting both network security and a more dynamic ecosystem for decentralized finance.

In addition to its core offering, Marinade has become an active participant in broader efforts to enhance Solana’s ecosystem. Its decision to invest in SuperSol is in line with its long-term vision to support projects that aim to improve Solana’s scalability and bring real-world use cases to life.

SuperSol: A Key Enabler for the Future of GameFi and DePIN

The main challenge facing blockchain networks like Solana has always been the need to scale in a way that maintains high throughput while minimizing costs. Solana’s high-speed and low-cost architecture has made it a popular choice for developers, but as adoption grows and more applications are built on the network, there is an increasing need for solutions that can handle even more transactions without compromising performance.

This is where SuperSol comes into play. SuperSol is a Layer-2 scaling solution that builds on top of Solana’s existing architecture to offer increased scalability and enhanced performance. By utilizing SuperSol, developers will be able to create more efficient applications, particularly in GameFi and DePIN – two sectors experiencing explosive growth.

In the GameFi space, where games and financial incentives are integrated on the blockchain, the need for high-speed transactions is paramount. Traditional gaming engines often struggle to meet the performance demands of real-time, immersive environments, but Layer-2 solutions like SuperSol can help ensure that these games run smoothly and cost-effectively on the Solana network.

Similarly, in the rapidly growing DePIN sector, which includes applications focused on decentralizing physical infrastructure such as networks, energy grids, and other assets, scalability is critical. SuperSol’s advanced Layer-2 architecture is designed to handle the transaction loads and data requirements of such applications, making it an ideal fit for this emerging market.

A Strategic Partnership with Long-Term Impact

While the financial details of the investment have not been disclosed, Marinade’s support for SuperSol is more than just a monetary contribution – it’s a strategic partnership aimed at fostering innovation and ensuring the continued growth of Solana’s ecosystem. By investing in projects like SuperSol, Marinade is positioning itself as a key player in the infrastructure and scalability efforts that will shape the future of blockchain technology.

The collaboration between Marinade Finance and SuperSol is a testament to the growing synergies within the Solana ecosystem. As Solana continues to attract developers and projects across a variety of sectors, the combination of robust staking solutions and scalable infrastructure will be key to meeting the demands of an increasingly complex and diverse decentralized economy.

Looking Ahead: Solana’s Continued Evolution

As Solana’s ecosystem matures, the need for effective Layer-2 scaling solutions will only become more pressing. SuperSol’s focus on improving Solana’s real-time performance and scalability will help address these challenges head-on, making Solana an even more attractive option for developers and users alike.

The strategic investment by Marinade Finance signals confidence in SuperSol’s vision and the potential impact it will have on the network. It also highlights Marinade’s commitment to not only providing liquidity solutions through its liquid staking protocol but also actively contributing to the broader development of Solana’s infrastructure.

The partnership between Marinade Finance and SuperSol is a significant step toward ensuring that Solana remains a leading blockchain platform for years to come, able to support the growing demands of decentralized applications, GameFi, and DePIN with cutting-edge performance, scalability, and reliability.

About Marinade Finance

Marinade Finance is a non-custodial liquid staking protocol built for the Solana blockchain. By allowing users to stake SOL tokens and receive mSOL, a liquid staking derivative, Marinade enhances liquidity and incentivizes participation in Solana’s proof-of-stake consensus. The platform is designed to make staking more accessible and flexible while supporting the broader development of the Solana network.

About SuperSol

SuperSol is Solana’s first native Layer-2 scaling solution, built to optimize the network’s performance and scalability. Focusing on sectors like GameFi and DePIN, SuperSol is designed to meet the increasing demands of decentralized applications by providing enhanced efficiency, reliability, and real-time performance.

SuperSol is the brainchild of Eva Oberholzer, whose impressive credentials include former roles as Chief Strategy Officer at Cardano and Chief Growth Officer at ICP. With her extensive experience in protocol development, Oberholzer recognized Solana’s potential as a dominant force in the crypto world. This insight led her to tackle the ecosystem’s scalability challenges, particularly in the GameFi space. By founding SuperSol, Oberholzer aims to solidify Solana’s position as a leading asset class and drive the next wave of innovation in the blockchain industry.

On December 18, Solana-based meme coin Fartcoin hit a new all-time high (ATH), briefly pushing its market capitalization beyond the $1 billion mark.

The surge came amidst a slump in the broader crypto market caused by pressure from the U.S. Federal Reserve announcing a 25-basis point rate cut, coupled with projections of fewer rate reductions in 2025.

Lighting Up the Market Gloom

The Fed’s announcement seemed to have rattled investors, with major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum shedding 4% and 5% of their values, respectively, in the last 24 hours.

Among the top ten, XRP and Dogecoin performed even more poorly, with the former down 6.8% while the latter lost 5.8% of its worth.

Despite the gloom, Fartcoin was among the few altcoins to stay in the green, jumping 21% to reach an all-time high of $1.02. With a circulating supply of 999,995,862 tokens, the new price pushed its market cap to about $1.01 billion, according to CoinGecko data.

However, the rally didn’t last long, with the meme coin subsequently retracing to $0.7158 before kicking off another recovery rally. At the time of this writing, it was changing hands at $0.9889, a 17.6% improvement across 24 hours and just 5.4% below its all-time high.

The token’s current price puts its overall value at around $955 million, placing it at #129 among the largest cryptocurrencies in the market.

Fartcoin’s gains were more pronounced across longer periods, with a whopping 446.1% increase over the past fortnight and an equally impressive 220.8% jump in the last 30 days. Additionally, over seven days, the meme coin registered an 85% uptick, significantly outperforming the broader crypto market, which was down 2.7% in the same period.

Analysis and Future Outlook

The irreverently named cryptocurrency’s performance aligns with a bullish five-wave impulse pattern noted by analysts. Its $1.01 ATH was the culmination of Wave 3 of that pattern, which was marked by major resistance.

As such, market watchers are now predicting a corrective Wave 4 pullback toward the $0.70 to $0.58 range before the coin resumes its uptrend in Wave 5, with targets set at $1.12 and $1.27. However, they urge caution since, in their opinion, a drop below $0.58 could invalidate Fartcoin’s bullish outlook.

Similarly, the meme token’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) shows overbought conditions, suggesting a potential cooldown before its next rally.

TL;DR

• The launch of Ripple’s stablecoin launch, leadership changes at the SEC, and a potential lawsuit settlement could impact XRP’s future.
• Analysts forecast short-term targets of $2.78 to $8.76, with potential for further growth if the price reaches $10.

Wait for These Things to Happen

Despite the latest correction, which briefly suppressed the price of XRP to under $2.25, Ripple’s native token remains one of the best performers in the market this year. It currently trades at around $2.42, which represents a whopping 300% increase since January 1.

The pump was long anticipated by the XRP army, and some members might be contemplating whether to sell some of their holdings. However, one market observer, using the X moniker Maxi, said investors should wait a bit longer. The analyst outlined seven vital factors XRP investors should get checked before eventually cashing out.

The first element is the launch of Ripple’s stablecoin – RLUSD. As CryptoPotato reported, the financial product meant to be pegged 1:1 to the American dollar saw the light of day on December 17.

The second thing is Donald Trump’s inauguration, scheduled for January 20, 2025, while Gary Gensler’s departure from the US SEC is the third factor. The agency’s leader, who is known for his anti-crypto approach, will vacate his post next month, with Paul Atkins replacing him at the helm. The latter has a completely different stance toward the digital asset sector, advocating for implementing regulations that foster innovation in the space. 

Next on the list is the eventual settlement of the lawsuit between Ripple and the US SEC. The entities have been confronting on the legal front for four years, with some seeing the agency as the underdog. After all, Ripple secured some vital (yet partial) court wins, while the upcoming shift in the leadership of the Commission could lead to a favorable resolution. 

The other factors investors should wait for include the beginning of the altseason, a potential partnership between Ripple and a large banking institution, and the possible launch of an XRP ETF. 

XRP Price Predictions

Some of the people making bullish forecasts as of late include the X users JAVON MARKS and Dark Defender. The former expects a potential price explosion, while the latter set $5.85 and $8.76 as short-term targets.

Most recently, Armando Pantoja also chipped in. He claimed that XRP could be headed toward $2.78 and then $3.87. The analyst went even further, forecasting a mass FOMO effect if the price reach $10-$12, and “that’s when it will get crazy.”