Jito
Solana's liquid staking and MEV protocol — earning staking rewards plus MEV tips through JitoSOL.
Overview
Jito is Solana's leading liquid staking and MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) infrastructure protocol that allows users to stake SOL and receive JitoSOL — a liquid staking token that earns both traditional staking rewards and additional yield from MEV tips. Founded by Jito Labs, the protocol launched in 2023 and quickly became one of the most important infrastructure projects in the Solana ecosystem. Jito addresses a unique problem on Solana: unlike Ethereum where MEV extraction happens through a well-established ecosystem (Flashbots), Solana's MEV landscape was fragmented and often harmful to regular users through sandwich attacks and front-running.
Jito's MEV infrastructure consists of a modified Solana validator client (Jito-Solana) that includes a block engine and relayer system. Validators running the Jito client can receive bundles of transactions from searchers (MEV extractors) who pay tips for priority inclusion. These tips are partially distributed to JitoSOL holders, creating additional yield on top of standard staking rewards. At its peak, over 80% of Solana validators were running the Jito client, making it a critical piece of Solana's infrastructure. However, Jito Labs controversially shut down the mempool feature of the block engine in March 2024 after community backlash over sandwich attacks, demonstrating the protocol's commitment to user protection over pure MEV extraction.
The JTO governance token was airdropped to JitoSOL stakers and Solana ecosystem participants in December 2023, one of the most significant airdrops in Solana's history. By 2026, JitoSOL has become one of the largest liquid staking tokens on Solana with billions in TVL, and the Jito validator client remains the dominant client implementation on the network. The protocol has expanded its product suite to include StakeNet (a decentralized stake pool program) and various DeFi integrations that allow JitoSOL to be used as collateral across lending protocols, DEXs, and yield strategies throughout the Solana ecosystem.
Jito solved two critical problems for Solana simultaneously: providing liquid staking infrastructure comparable to Lido on Ethereum, and organizing the chaotic MEV landscape to benefit stakers rather than only searchers. The protocol's decision to shut down the mempool feature — sacrificing revenue to protect users from sandwich attacks — was a landmark governance moment that set a precedent for how DeFi protocols should balance profit with user welfare. JitoSOL has become a cornerstone DeFi primitive on Solana, used as collateral across the ecosystem, and the Jito validator client's dominance means the protocol influences how the majority of Solana blocks are constructed.
How It Works
The Basics
Users stake SOL through the Jito protocol and receive JitoSOL, a liquid staking token whose value appreciates relative to SOL as staking rewards and MEV tips accumulate. The underlying SOL is delegated to a curated set of high-performance validators running the Jito-Solana client.
Pros & Cons
- Highest liquid staking yield on Solana thanks to MEV tip redistribution on top of base staking rewards
- Jito validator client runs on 80%+ of Solana validators — deeply embedded in the network's infrastructure
- Demonstrated ethical leadership by shutting down mempool feature to protect users from sandwich attacks
- JitoSOL widely integrated as collateral across Solana DeFi — lending, DEXs, and yield strategies
- StakeNet improves Solana decentralization by algorithmically distributing stake across many validators
- Dominance of the Jito client creates a single point of influence over Solana's block construction
- MEV redistribution primarily benefits large stakers, with individual user gains being relatively small
- Liquid staking introduces smart contract risk — a vulnerability could affect billions in staked SOL
- Competition from Marinade Finance and other Solana liquid staking protocols increasing pressure
- JTO token governance power is concentrated among early recipients and large airdrop claimers
Use Cases
- Staking SOL through JitoSOL to earn enhanced yield from staking rewards plus MEV tips
- Using JitoSOL as collateral in Solana DeFi protocols for borrowing, lending, and yield farming
- Validators running the Jito client to earn MEV tips and improve block building efficiency
- Participating in JTO governance to shape protocol parameters and MEV policy decisions
- Building DeFi strategies that compound JitoSOL yield with additional farming or lending returns
Technical Details
- Consensus
- N/A (SPL token)
- Launch Year
- 2023
- Founder
- Jito Labs
- Max Supply
- 1,000,000,000
- Blockchain
- Solana
- Website
- www.jito.network