Solana Ecosystem Tier List – A 2026 Perspective

Looking at the Solana network through a builder's lens, certain protocols have emerged as ecosystem anchors—driving liquidity flows, expanding user adoption, and pushing technical boundaries.

At the legendary tier sit the true pillars: Kamino leads the charge in liquidity management, while Jito powers the validator infrastructure and MEV landscape. Raydium continues its reign as the primary AMM, and Jupiter maintains its dominance as the go-to routing engine for swaps across the chain.

The elite tier follows close behind with prime movers like Sanctum, which has carved out critical infrastructure for staking derivatives and liquid staking ecosystems—a category growing faster than most realize.

When you stack these names against what actually matters—TVL concentration, daily active builders, and real transaction volume—a clear picture emerges of how Solana's liquidity and adoption story is being written by these key players.