Solana has transformed from a concentrated ownership model to one of the most diversified blockchain ecosystems. Following Forward Industries' $1 billion buyback program and the redistribution ofSolana has transformed from a concentrated ownership model to one of the most diversified blockchain ecosystems. Following Forward Industries' $1 billion buyback program and the redistribution of

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Who Owns Solana? Biggest SOL Holders Revealed

Author: MEXC

Intermediate

Jan 5, 2026MEXC

Solana has transformed from a concentrated ownership model to one of the most diversified blockchain ecosystems.

Following Forward Industries' $1 billion buyback program and the redistribution of FTX-related holdings, corporate treasuries now hold millions of SOL tokens.

This article examines who owns Solana cryptocurrency in 2025, how ownership has evolved since the FTX collapse, and why this decentralized blockchain cannot be owned by a single entity.

Readers will discover the largest SOL holders, the founders behind the network, and how Solana's structure ensures community control.

First, learn what Solana is and its tokenomics.

Key Takeaways

Forward Industries leads corporate SOL holdings with 6.92 million tokens acquired through a $1.65 billion investment in September 2024.
The FTX collapse in 2022 redistributed Solana ownership from concentrated whale addresses to diversified institutional and corporate holders.
Anatoly Yakovenko founded Solana in 2017 at Solana Labs, while the Solana Foundation manages 12.5% of token allocation.
No single entity owns the Solana blockchain—over 1,000 independent validators worldwide secure the network through Proof of Stake consensus.
Top 100 SOL holders control 22.76% of total supply, showing significantly healthier distribution than the FTX-dominated era.

Who Owns the Most Solana? Biggest SOL Holders

Forward Industries dominates corporate SOL holdings with approximately 6.92 million tokens valued at $865 million, accumulated through a $1.6 billion private investment in September 2024.

The medical design firm stakes its entire treasury, generating consistent yield while supporting network security.

Solana Company holds 2.2 million SOL worth $275 million after rebranding from Helius Technologies, while DeFi Development Corp maintains 2.09 million tokens through active validator operations and ecosystem partnerships.

Upexi accumulated 2.01 million SOL at an average price of $151.44 per token, with Arthur Hayes serving on its advisory committee.

Sharps Technology rounds out the top five with 2 million SOL, positioning itself as a Solana accelerator company.

According to blockchain data as of November 10, 2025, the top 10 holders control only 6.58% of total supply, demonstrating significant distribution compared to early whale concentration.

Solana Coin Ownership Changes After FTX Collapse

The FTX collapse in November 2022 fundamentally restructured Solana coin ownership patterns across the ecosystem.

Alameda Research previously held massive SOL positions as FTX's second-largest holding, with over $1.1 billion in SOL holdings.

Following bankruptcy proceedings, these concentrated holdings transferred to liquidators and external parties, eliminating the dominant whale addresses that once controlled significant supply percentages.

Institutional adoption accelerated through 2025 with Rothschild Investment and PNC Financial Services disclosed SOL exposure via ETF products.

The launch of Solana-linked exchange-traded funds redistributed ownership from early concentrated wallets to diversified institutional vehicles.

Current blockchain data shows the top 20 holders own 11.03% of total supply while the top 100 control 22.76%, indicating healthier distribution than the FTX era when single entities dominated market dynamics.

Who Owns Solana Blockchain? Founders and Foundation

Anatoly Yakovenko created Solana in 2017 after spending over a decade at Qualcomm working on distributed systems and compression algorithms.

His groundbreaking Proof of History whitepaper introduced a cryptographic clock enabling blockchain nodes to verify time passage without constant communication.

Raj Gokal joined as co-founder, leveraging venture capital experience to build developer partnerships and secure strategic funding.

Greg Fitzgerald contributed early engineering expertise, implementing Solana's core codebase in Rust programming language.

Solana Labs operates as the primary development company, while the Solana Foundation serves as a Switzerland-based non-profit managing 12.5% of token allocation.

The Foundation owns intellectual property rights to the Solana protocol and funds ecosystem development initiatives.

However, neither the founders nor these entities "own" the decentralized network – they created the technology but cannot control the blockchain operated by thousands of independent validator nodes worldwide.

Learn about Solana's founders and their background.

Solana Cryptocurrency Ownership Structure Explained

Solana operates as a permissionless blockchain where no single entity maintains ownership control over network operations.

Over 1,000 independent validators worldwide process transactions and secure the blockchain through Proof of Stake consensus mechanisms.

Each validator operates autonomously, staking SOL tokens as collateral to earn rewards for honest participation.

SOL token holders contribute to network governance by delegating tokens to validators, effectively voting with their stake on network security.

This distributed validator structure prevents any single point of failure or centralized control.

Solana Labs develops core technology while the Solana Foundation supports ecosystem growth, but neither can unilaterally change protocol rules or reverse transactions.

The network's decentralized architecture means who owns most Solana tokens differs from who controls the blockchain itself.

Token ownership provides economic stake and staking rewards, but network consensus emerges from thousands of validators reaching agreement through cryptographic proof rather than centralized decision-making.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solana Ownership

Q: Who owns Solana crypto?

No single entity owns Solana – it operates as a decentralized blockchain governed by thousands of independent validators worldwide.

Q: Who owns the most Solana coins?

Forward Industries holds the largest public position with 6.82 million SOL tokens as of November 2025.

Q: Who owns Solana cryptocurrency?

Ownership is distributed across corporate treasuries, institutional investors, individual holders, and the Solana Foundation, which manages 12.5% of supply.

Q: Who owns Solana coin?

SOL tokens are owned by millions of wallet addresses globally, with top 100 holders controlling approximately 22.76% of total supply.

Conclusion

Solana ownership has evolved from early concentration to broad distribution across corporate treasuries, institutional funds, and community participants.

Forward Industries leads with 6.82 million SOL, but no entity controls the decentralized network itself.

The founders created innovative blockchain technology, yet thousands of independent validators maintain operational control.

Trade Solana on MEXC to participate in this high-performance ecosystem offering fast transactions, low fees, and growing institutional adoption across global markets.

Explore our beginner's guide to Solana.

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