#cryptocurrency Solana is a high-performance blockchain platform known for its speed and low transaction fees. Launched in 2020, it aims to rival [[Ethereum]] by providing a scalable infrastructure for decentralized applications ([[dApp]]s) like [[Decentralized Finance (DeFi)]] platforms and [[NFT]] marketplaces. Solana achieves this through a unique consensus mechanism called [[Proof of History (PoH)]], which allows it to process thousands of transactions per second while maintaining security. Its native cryptocurrency, [[SOL]], is used for transaction fees and staking to secure the network.