Jump Crypto Partners With Solana To Build New Validator Software

Jump Crypto hopes to bring the second independent validator client to Solana’s network

article-image

blockworks exclusive art by axel rangel

share
  • Jump Crypto is creating a new open source validator client for Solana using the C++ programing language
  • Independent validator clients help to ensure a project’s integrity by constantly computing the linkage between blocks

Crypto investment firm Jump Crypto has joined forces with the Solana Foundation, the non-profit that helps maintain the integrity of the Solana blockchain, to create a new open source validator client. 

The software, which will be built using the C++ programing language, will be the second independent validator client for Solana. The first was built by Solana Labs, the technology company that builds and maintains the Solana blockchain. 

Independent validator clients help ensure a project’s integrity by constantly computing the linkage between blocks. Anyone that owns a small portion of Solana’s native token and the right hardware can become a validator on Solana’s network, according to the blockchain’s requirements

The news, announced Tuesday, marks the beginning of a new era for the layer-1 blockchain, Jump Crypto President Kanav Kariya said. 

“While this is a wildly ambitious project, Jump has always been focused on building the guardrails and infrastructure of blockchain technology,” Kariya wrote in a statement. “There is nothing more important right now than solving the world’s most complex networking issues, and we are thrilled that Solana Foundation has entrusted us to help revolutionize this technology to make the fastest blockchain even faster and more reliable.”

The move is an important step in promoting decentralization within the network, Dan Albert, executive director of the Solana Foundation, added. Jump will also be working with the blockchain to propose significant upgrades to Solana’s open source core software. 

Kevin Bowers, chief science officer at Jump Trading, will oversee the team building the validator. 

“Given the relatively slow speeds and unreliability of blockchain networks, an incredible opportunity exists to transform the functionality and efficacy of these networks,” Bowers said. “We are excited to apply our proven technologies to encourage widespread adoption, creating endless possibilities and driving real change in the world.”

The announcement is not the first time Jump and Solana have united. The blockchain developer was an early investor in Solana before opting to bail out the ecosystem in the wake of the $350 million Wormhole hack in February. 

The move to replenish the lost funds was hailed by many in the industry as the only thing heading off long-term damage to the blockchain.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

October 7, 2026

DAS Asia is a a single-day summit at Marina Bay Sands Singapore featuring conversations between the builders, investors, and global leaders are shaping the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in Asia & North America.

Hilton Park Lane, London

November 10-11, 2026

DAS London is a two-day summit at the Hilton Park Lane in London featuring conversations between the builders, allocators, and policy makers who are shaping the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the UK, Europe, and North America.

recent research

Onchain Gacha Cover Image.png

Research

Onchain gacha platforms sold $284.3 million of digital card packs in July 2026, and Collector Crypt accounted for more than half of that activity. However, it buys back 92.9% of what it sells, which leaves it with a third of the category's revenue on more than half of its volume, and a quarter of its activity arrives through partner apps whose users it does not own. Courtyard runs the opposite model, a consumer app selling smaller packs to thousands of retail buyers who resell the cards to each other, and it took 59.7% of category revenue while growing through a month the category spent contracting. This report compares the five largest platforms on gross activity, buyback intensity, revenue after buybacks, consumer composition, marketplace liquidity, and distribution ownership, and finds Courtyard the strongest performer as of July 2026, with the qualification that none of the five discloses inventory costs or resale proceeds, so no platform in the category can yet be shown to be profitable.

Newsletter

The Breakdown

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Blockworks Research

Unlock crypto's most powerful research platform.

Our research packs a punch and gives you actionable takeaways for each topic.

SubscribeGet in touch

Blockworks Inc.

133 W 19th St., New York, NY 10011

Blockworks Network

PodcastsNewslettersEventsRoundtablesAnalytics