Virtuals Protocol, an AI-powered agent platform, has announced its expansion to the Solana blockchain as part of its mission to foster innovation across diverse ecosystems. The move, initially shared in a Jan. 25 post on X (formerly Twitter), has drawn significant attention from industry leaders, with many highlighting its potential impact.
Multichain Expansion Strategy
Virtuals Protocol, already integrated with Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network, is now venturing into Solana, a prominent layer-1 blockchain. Solana’s reputation for speed, scalability, and a dynamic community makes it a strategic choice for Virtuals’ multichain ambitions.
By operating on both Solana and Base, Virtuals aims to enhance ecosystem participation, attract new developers and users, and address network congestion while boosting scalability. The company expressed its enthusiasm, stating that Solana offers the ideal environment to bring their vision to life.
Strategic SOL Reserve and New Features
One of the key features Virtuals will introduce on Solana is a Strategic Solana Reserve. Through this initiative, 1% of trading fees will be converted into SOL, building a reserve to support and reward agents and creators within the ecosystem.
Additional features planned for Solana include:
- A Meteora Pool: Designed to improve liquidity for users and creators.
- Expanded Grants Program: Aimed at supporting early-stage developers building within the Solana ecosystem.
Industry Leaders React
Sam Steffanina, founder of WolvesDAO, praised the move, emphasizing the importance of cross-chain innovation. “Multichain is the future, and 2025 is the year of cross-chain expansion,” Steffanina noted in a Jan. 25 post.
Altan Tutar, co-founder of Nuffle Labs, called the decision to prioritize Solana a “smart move,” commending Virtuals for targeting users where liquidity already exists. Tutar highlighted that launching their own blockchain would be more time-consuming, while this approach allows Virtuals to capture value more quickly.
Virtuals Protocol’s Growth and Recent Developments
Since its launch in October 2024, Virtuals Protocol has grown significantly and is now the 68th largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, with an estimated value of $1.6 billion.
The expansion to Solana comes shortly after Virtuals relaunched its bug bounty program. The program was reintroduced following the discovery of a bug in an audited smart contract by pseudonymous security researcher Jinu. The issue was resolved after Jinu’s report, although the absence of an active bounty program at the time meant the discovery didn’t qualify for a reward.
