Solana returned to form with its Breakpoint 2023 conference this week in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, playing host to a plethora of innovations, announcements, and insights from industry leaders over 5 days from 30 October to 4 November. Next year it will be held in Singapore in September 2024, the first time on Asian soil.
CoolWallet was present at Solana Breakpoint, where we connected with attendees for a few days. We also got to show off our groundbreaking Web3 hardware wallet CoolWallet Pro, which offers native cold storage support for SOL and its SPL token and NFT assets, to everyone from Solana’s founders to its hottest new projects, and found out how to best support the future that Solana is building.
There is so much happening in Solana on the grassroots field to strategic and technical levels through the Solana Foundation that it’s hard to take in everything. It’s very reminiscent of early Ethereum vibes of around 2017, and also, let’s not forget that Ethereum also had to shake off the devastating 2016 DAO hack in order to become the juggernaut that it is today. With over 4000 people officially attending, it’s clear that Solana and its community are putting the FTX troubles behind them.
CoolWallet got to rub shoulders and discuss crypto with everyone from Solana’s founders to an army of ecosystem developers, artists, NFT and Web3 communities, musicians, DeFi degens, and more who have all committed themselves to making Solana shake off its FTX hangover and become the world’s global state blockchain.
We were especially happy to meet new friends like the BONK and MonkeDAO guys IRL (more news on that soon). Shoutout to other legends like MadLads, TheHeist, WiHi, Helio, Stoned Apes, Aurory, Mixmob, Helios, and of course “I’m just an engineer” co-founder Anatoly “Toly” Yakovenko, one of the nicest and grounded founders in all of crypto.
It wasn’t all just work but also NETWORK, as with any self-respecting crypto conference. We attended Halloween parties, boat parties (SuperTeam), secret raves, happy hours, and pizza nights in cool venues spread across the vast urban corners of historic and fun-filled Amsterdam.
Solana’s Global State Machine and Future Announcements
Anatoly Yakovenko, along with other Solana Foundation members, discussed recent network changes and upgrades. The Firedancer testnet went live, promising advancements in the network’s capabilities. Furthermore, Breakpoint 2024 was announced to take place in Singapore, reflecting Solana’s expanding global community.
Solana’s Firedancer Testnet: Enhancing Network Resilience
Solana, in collaboration with Jump Crypto, officially launched its Firedancer testnet, a new validator client designed to address past network outages and increase the speed, reliability, and diversity of validators on the Solana network. Having diverse codebases ensures that a bug in one doesn’t halt the entire network, providing a safety net. This strategic move not only enhances technical robustness but also aims to restore user trust and strengthen Solana’s position in the blockchain industry, and was a huge factor in pumping SOL’s price to over $46 during the event.
PsyFi: Pioneering DAOs on Solana
Tommy and Taylor Johnson, co-founders of PsyFi (formerly PsyOptions), highlighted their platform’s position as Solana’s second-largest DAO without centralized governance. They emphasized the significance of DAOs in Solana’s global state machine and the challenges faced, including regulatory uncertainties. PsyFi’s solution includes on-chain, non-custodial market making, SPL token-weighted voting, and more. Additionally, the launch of Armada Fleet 2 promises enhanced tokenomics with reduced governance reliance.
3.land: Revolutionizing the Creator Economy
Kari aka Bangerz, CEO and Co-founder of 3.land, shared her journey from Web2 to Web3, highlighting the challenges creators face on platforms like Instagram. With the aim of creating a digital renaissance, 3.land is launching 3TV, a live-streaming platform where NFTs offer more than just buying and selling capabilities.
Teleport.XYZ: Open-source Protocols for a Better Future
Paul Bohm, founder of Teleport.XYZ, showcased the potential of open-source protocols to benefit both consumers and laborers. By comparing the centralized models of companies like Uber and Lyft, Paul emphasized the advantages of decentralized systems like Teleport in ensuring fair rewards for workers.
Boba Guys: Brewing Loyalty with Blockchain
Boba Guys announced their new loyalty program, leveraging Solana’s fast and cost-effective infrastructure. With impressive pilot results in San Francisco, the program is set to launch across all their locations, redefining customer loyalty in the beverage industry.
Orca: Rethinking Liquidity UI
Orca’s co-founders, Ori Kwan and Yutaro Mori, unveiled the LP Terminal, a game-changer for liquidity providers. This tool allows for backtesting and precise data analysis, eliminating the guesswork prevalent in platforms like Uniswap v3.
GameShift: Ushering in Web3 Gaming
Solana Labs announced the beta launch of GameShift, a tool designed to simplify Web3 game development. By providing a user-friendly API, GameShift aims to lower the barriers for developers entering the blockchain gaming space.
Google Cloud’s Integration with Solana
James Tromans from Google Cloud revealed the integration of BigQuery with Solana, offering developers access to detailed Solana data and historical analysis, marking a significant step in bridging Web2 and Web3.
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Etherfuse: Bridging Traditional Finance and DeFi
David Taylor of Etherfuse introduced Stablebonds, tokenized bonds that combine the stability of traditional bonds with the advantages of blockchain. With partnerships like the government of Mexico, Etherfuse is set to revolutionize the bond market.
Captain and XP: Reinventing Ticketing with Web3
Captain’s CEO, Michael Saunders, launched XP, a Web3-native ticket marketplace. By addressing the shortcomings of traditional ticketing platforms, XP promises a transparent and cost-effective solution for live event enthusiasts.
Tweed: Transforming Event Ticketing
Michelle Latzer of Tweed announced the transition of Intel’s “Intel Ignite” tickets to a Solana blockchain-based system, promising enhanced event registration and community engagement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Solana Breakpoint showcased the blockchain’s potential and the innovations it promises in the near future. Solana is a young and vibrant collective of Web3 fanatics, probably more so than any other chain. It’s rough around the edges at times, in line with its “Break Things” philosophy. But it’s growing and growing.
Despite skeptics declaring “Solana is dead,” institutional interest in Solana is also evident. With a net positive institutional flow in 2023 and significant market buys, Solana’s future looks promising. Metrics indicate an increasing daily volume per address, a surge in DEX volume, and a nearing Total Value Locked (TVL) surpassing $400 million.
From DAOs to NFTs to new arenas like ReFi and crypto music, the event painted a bright picture for Solana’s ecosystem and its growing community.
CoolWallet is proud to offer Solana and its growing community of developers and dreamers our support, so if you’re building on Solana and are looking to offer your community a unique and custom experience coupled with the peace of mind that comes with elite and convenient cold storage, get in touch. See you next year in Singapore!
