Solana founder Toly discusses the survival strategy of the chain: practicality first, continuous iteration over stagnation

HashBard · 2026-01-18T02:36:13+00:00

Solana founder Toly shared his thoughts on the survival of blockchain protocols, emphasizing that continuous iteration and practicality are key. He believes that focusing on solving real problems for developers and users and establishing a virtuous cycle is essential, rather than pursuing perfect design. This philosophy helps with ecosystem governance and prevents falling into the trap of relying on a single team.

HashBard

2026-01-18 02:36:13

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【Blockchain Rhythm】Regarding how blockchain protocols can survive long-term, Solana founder Toly recently shared some different ideas.

He believes that if a chain chooses to stop adjusting based on the actual needs of developers and users, it will basically head towards decline. Therefore, Solana’s philosophy is very clear: continuous iteration and updates are necessary, and it must never fall into the trap of relying on a single team or individual. It sounds simple, but in reality, this is a huge test for ecosystem governance.

Toly emphasized a core logic — practicality is the lifeline. For Solana to survive, it must be truly adopted by a large number of developers, and these developers can earn substantial income from on-chain transactions, which in turn can contribute LLM token credit to improve this open-source protocol. This creates a virtuous cycle.

Regarding specific protocol iteration, Toly has a very practical suggestion: prioritize solving real problems faced by developers and users, but at the same time, have the courage to say “no” to most demands. This may sound a bit tough, but it is actually a necessary condition to keep the protocol focused — you cannot satisfy everyone’s expectations at the same time, or it will become a tangled mess.

This approach contrasts sharply with certain protocol philosophies that pursue perfection and require repeated validation during the design phase. Clearly, Toly believes that iteration in practical use is more reliable than waiting for a perfect design.

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SpeakWithHatOn

· 6h ago

SOL is once again claiming that it hasn't stagnated... But what's the real situation? Many chains are saying the same thing. How many can actually achieve it? It seems a bit hollow.

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RealYieldWizard

· 6h ago

Haha, Toly, you're basically saying that all other chains are dead, Solana must survive. --- I agree that practicality comes first, but the key is whether developers can really make money. --- Continuous iteration is good, but who has the final say? In the end, it's still the core team deciding the direction. --- A virtuous cycle sounds beautiful, but implementation is the hard part. Which chains have truly achieved this so far? --- Not relying on any one person? Toly, you should start with yourself haha. --- The improvements to open-source protocols are a bit superficial. Do token incentives really work? --- It sounds good, but ultimately, developers and users vote with their feet. --- I think the key is whether the SOL ecosystem can truly retain developers, that’s the real test.

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GasGasGasBro

· 6h ago

Continuous iteration is really the key; standing still means death. But it's easy to say and hard to do. If Solana can successfully implement this logic, it will win.

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