Solana token: What It Is, How It Works, and What You Need to Know in 2025

When you hear Solana token, the native cryptocurrency of the Solana blockchain, used to pay for transactions and secure the network. Also known as SOL, it's one of the most active tokens in DeFi and NFT markets today. Unlike slower blockchains that struggle with high fees and delays, Solana processes thousands of transactions per second using a unique mix of proof-of-stake and proof-of-history. That speed is why so many projects—from DeFi apps to meme coins—choose to build on it.

The Solana blockchain, a high-performance public blockchain designed for scalable decentralized applications doesn’t just run SOL. It also supports SPL tokens, custom tokens built on Solana using the Token Program, similar to ERC-20 on Ethereum. These are the tokens you see in airdrops, DEXs, and gaming apps. If you’ve heard of a new coin called something like $BONK or $WIF, it’s likely an SPL token. That means it runs on Solana, uses SOL to pay for trades, and benefits from its low cost and fast confirmations. This is why so many airdrops—like the ones mentioned in posts about GMPD, ZAM TrillioHeirs, and even fake ones like ORI Orica Token—tend to launch on Solana. It’s cheap, fast, and easy to deploy.

But speed isn’t everything. Solana’s network has gone down before—sometimes for hours—because its design pushes performance over redundancy. That’s why some users still prefer Ethereum or other chains for critical DeFi work. Still, for everyday users who want to trade, stake, or grab a new airdrop without paying $50 in gas fees, Solana is hard to beat. The Solana DeFi, a growing ecosystem of decentralized finance apps built on the Solana blockchain includes lending platforms, automated market makers, and yield farms that all run on SPL tokens. You’ll find these in the reviews of exchanges like NovaEx and Karura Swap, where traders use SOL to move between tokens without waiting.

What you’ll find in this collection isn’t just theory. It’s real examples: how fake airdrops mimic Solana projects, why some tokens have zero value despite being listed, and how exchanges handle SOL-based trades. You’ll see what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid scams hiding behind the name of a fast blockchain. Whether you’re new to crypto or have been trading for years, understanding Solana token means understanding where the action is right now—and where the risks are too.