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Solana rose nearly 9% this week as easing macro fears lifted crypto markets and the network notched fresh progress in payments, staking, and tokenization.
The gains came as crude oil pulled back from recent highs and signs of a possible ceasefire in the Middle East softened market sentiment.
Meanwhile, new milestones in payments, staking, and tokenized shares signaled continued progress in Solana’s on-chain financial infrastructure buildout.
Warmer Macro Picture
Trader sentiment is shifting from Fear to Greed
The Solana ecosystem ended the week on firmer footing as a softer macro backdrop buoyed risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.
Solana ecosystem tokens rose more than 4% week-over-week (WoW)
The gains came as hopes of a durable ceasefire in the Middle East improved market sentiment, even as tensions remained high.
U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to signal openness to a deal with Iran, helping pull crude prices back to around $92 a barrel from recent highs near $112.
That retreat has eased pressure on broader markets, with trader sentiment swinging toward Greed for the first time since January, according to the CMC Crypto Fear and Greed Index.
As of April 14, the index stands at 57, far higher than its February lows of around 5.
Institutional appetite may also be firming. In a recent note, Grayscale’s Zach Pandl said current levels for major altcoins such as Solana may be compelling.
“We can’t be sure crypto valuations have bottomed, but recent price action looks encouraging, and altcoins are trading near the low end of their three-year range,” Pandl said in an April 2 research note.
Agentic Commerce Accelerates
Visa is building an agentic payments platform on Solana
Visa’s move into AI-driven commerce this week adds another heavyweight to a payments category Solana has been pushing to capture.
On April 8, the company unveiled a new platform designed to let autonomous AI agents browse, select, and pay for goods on behalf of users.
The partnership brings Visa’s “payment acceptance infrastructure into the emerging world of AI-driven commerce,” Andrew Torre, President of Value-Added Services at Visa, said in a statement.
In an October 2025 report, consultancy McKinsey estimated that agentic payments could grow to as much as $5 trillion by 2030.
Institutional Staking, Tokenization Advance
Jito plans to expand institutional staking in South Korea
Solana also notched wins in institutional staking and tokenized securities this week.
On April 13, Jito Foundation clinched an agreement with digital asset custodian KODA to explore custody and staking support for its JitoSOL product in South Korea.
The move gives one of Solana’s biggest liquid staking products a clearer path into South Korea just as the country moves toward a new digital asset framework.
It also builds on Jito’s earlier effort to explore a South Korea-listed JitoSOL exchange-traded fund, extending Solana’s push into institution-facing yield products in the region.
On April 8, Nasdaq-listed Currenc Group tapped Securitize to tokenize its shares, opening the door to round-the-clock trading and broader use across digital asset markets.
Meanwhile, crypto exchange Bitget rolled out a new product tied to pre-IPO exposure, offering users a token linked to SpaceX’s future public-market performance.
Total Solana Ecosystem Market Cap: $134.96B
Top 5 Solana Coins by Market Cap:
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