The world of digital asset investing is evolving rapidly, and institutional participation in blockchain ecosystems is reaching new heights. A significant milestone was recently achieved when Sol Strategies Inc. was selected as the staking provider for 3iQ Corp.’s proposed Solana Staking ETF—a development poised to reshape how traditional investors engage with decentralized networks.
This strategic partnership marks one of the first major moves toward regulated, compliant staking solutions on the Solana blockchain, blending institutional-grade infrastructure with decentralized finance (DeFi) innovation.
A Landmark Partnership in Institutional Crypto Investing
On February 7, 2025, Sol Strategies and 3iQ signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining their collaboration on the upcoming staked Solana ETF. Under the agreement, Sol Strategies will invest up to $15 million or 33.33% of the fund’s total assets at launch, with a minimum three-month holding period. This commitment underscores confidence in both the Solana network and the future of regulated staking products.
As a publicly traded Canadian company listed on the CSE (HODL) and OTCQX (CYFRF), Sol Strategies brings a unique blend of regulatory compliance, technical expertise, and deep ecosystem integration to the table. Their role as a staking provider ensures that institutional investors gain secure exposure to staking rewards without compromising on transparency or oversight.
Pascal St-Jean, CEO and President of 3iQ, emphasized the importance of choosing a partner with proven validator performance and robust compliance frameworks:
“Their compliance framework and validator performance align perfectly with our commitment to providing regulated, secure digital asset exposure to investors.”
Leah Wald, CEO of Sol Strategies, echoed this sentiment, calling the partnership a “pivotal moment” for institutional adoption of Solana staking:
“This allows traditional investors to access staking rewards through a regulated investment vehicle.”
👉 Discover how institutional staking is transforming crypto investment strategies.
Building Institutional Trust Through Infrastructure
Sol Strategies isn’t just participating in the Solana ecosystem—they’re strengthening it. As of early 2025, the company manages 1.64 million SOL across three validators, with direct holdings totaling over 218,900 SOL. These assets are actively staked through their own validator nodes, generating recurring revenue while enhancing network decentralization.
A key factor in their selection by 3iQ is their technical leadership. Sol Strategies has successfully deployed two Firedancer validators, a next-generation upgrade aimed at improving Solana’s speed, scalability, and fault tolerance. This positions them at the forefront of network optimization efforts.
Additionally, they’ve upgraded to Jito 2.1, significantly boosting transaction throughput and efficiency—critical improvements for supporting high-frequency institutional activity.
Their transparent approach extends beyond operations. The company recently published a technical blog detailing best practices for securely exposing Firedancer interfaces, enabling real-time community monitoring of validator health and performance—an essential feature for building investor trust.
Financial Strength and Strategic Growth
With CAD $72 million in liquidity, Sol Strategies is well-capitalized to execute its long-term vision for Solana accumulation and staking expansion.
Between January 31 and February 7, 2025, the firm acquired 24,374 additional SOL tokens for CAD $7.3 million (USD $5.05 million). This brings their total holdings to 214,342 SOL, originally purchased for CAD $55.6 million (USD $39.5 million) and now valued at approximately CAD $58.9 million (USD $41.2 million).
To further fuel growth, Sol Strategies drew $4 million from a CAD $25 million credit facility provided by Chairman Antanas Guoga. These funds will support:
- Large-scale SOL acquisitions
- Validator infrastructure upgrades
- Liquidity provision for emerging DeFi projects
- Development grants for Solana-based protocols
This aggressive reinvestment strategy highlights their commitment to not only benefit from Solana’s growth but actively contribute to its sustainability and resilience.
FAQ: Understanding the Impact of This Partnership
Q: What is a staked ETF, and how does it work?
A: A staked exchange-traded fund (ETF) allows investors to gain exposure to cryptocurrency returns—including staking rewards—through a regulated financial product. In this case, 3iQ’s Solana Staking ETF will distribute yield generated from staked SOL tokens managed by Sol Strategies.
Q: Why is Sol Strategies considered a reliable staking provider?
A: They combine institutional compliance standards with top-tier validator performance, real-time transparency tools, and a proven track record in managing large-scale staking operations on Solana.
Q: Is this ETF already available to investors?
A: The ETF is currently pending regulatory approval in Canada. Once approved, it will offer traditional investors a compliant pathway to earn staking yields without managing private keys or running nodes.
Q: How does Firedancer improve Solana’s network?
A: Firedancer is a high-performance client implementation designed to increase Solana’s throughput, reduce downtime, and enhance decentralization by enabling more entities to run efficient validator nodes.
Q: Can retail investors participate in this opportunity?
A: Yes—once launched, the ETF will be accessible to both institutional and retail investors through standard brokerage accounts, democratizing access to staking rewards.
👉 Learn how you can prepare for the next wave of crypto ETF innovations.
Core Keywords Driving Adoption
This development highlights several critical trends shaping the future of digital finance:
- Solana staking
- Institutional crypto investing
- Regulated staking solutions
- Staked ETFs
- Validator infrastructure
- DeFi growth
- Blockchain scalability
- Crypto liquidity providers
These keywords reflect growing market demand for secure, compliant ways to earn yield on digital assets—especially among pension funds, asset managers, and wealth advisors seeking regulated entry points into Web3.
Looking Ahead: Nasdaq Ambitions and Ecosystem Leadership
With rumors of a potential Nasdaq listing, Sol Strategies is positioning itself as a bridge between traditional capital markets and decentralized technologies. Their focus on transparency, performance, and ecosystem contribution makes them a standout player in the rapidly maturing crypto infrastructure space.
By leveraging Solana’s low-cost, high-speed architecture, they’re not only attracting institutional capital but also empowering developers and new projects through liquidity support and validator services.
👉 See how leading firms are integrating blockchain into mainstream finance.
As regulatory clarity improves and demand for yield-bearing digital assets grows, partnerships like the one between 3iQ and Sol Strategies will set the standard for future crypto-native financial products—ushering in a new era of accessible, compliant, and scalable blockchain investing.