Solayer started in 2024 as “the EigenLayer of Solana”: deposit SOL, receive a restaked token, collect points. Two years later it looks very different. The LAYER token launched in February 2025, the points campaign that fed its Genesis Drop is over, and the project now runs its own hardware-accelerated chain, a Visa-compatible card, a yield-bearing stablecoin and a perpetuals exchange. If you still hold sSOL or are wondering whether Solayer activity earns anything today, it helps to separate what is live from what is history.
What Solayer is now
Solayer describes itself as a vertically integrated finance stack built around the Solana Virtual Machine. Its main pieces are:
- sSOL and native staking – a liquid staking token for SOL, delegated to Solayer’s high-performance “Mega Validator”. sSOL can be used across Solana DeFi or delegated to endogenous AVSs (endoAVS), services that use staked SOL to secure bandwidth and transaction priority for specific apps.
- sUSD – a yield-bearing stablecoin backed by US Treasury bills through a partner, available on Solana, Base and Solayer Chain.
- Solayer Chain – a hardware-accelerated SVM layer-1 (formerly branded InfiniSVM) that uses RDMA and InfiniBand networking and a multi-executor design aimed at very high throughput. LAYER is the native token of this chain.
- Solayer Pay – a Visa-compatible card, virtual or physical, that lets you spend stablecoins from your wallet.
- Margin Trade – an onchain perpetuals exchange with a central limit order book, letting you trade crypto, commodities and synthetic equities from one cross-margin account. Its mainnet launched in June 2026.
Official sources: the Solayer website, the Solayer documentation, the app at app.solayer.org and @solayer_labs on X.
How the restaking points era worked
Solayer opened deposits in 2024 and ran its campaign in “Episodes”. Users earned points by depositing native SOL or supported liquid staking tokens, completing referral tasks, delegating to endoAVSs and using sSOL in partner DeFi pools. A later Episode added restaking of exchange-backed LSTs such as Bybit’s bbSOL and Binance’s BNSOL, which is why exchanges ran their own LAYER promotions.
That activity fed the Genesis Drop:
- TGE: February 11, 2025.
- Claim site: claim.solayer.foundation.
- Vesting: Genesis Drop tokens were fully unlocked at claim.
- Exchange distribution: Binance ran a HODLer Airdrop of 30 million LAYER, 3% of supply, for BNB holders in its Simple Earn products, and later added LAYER boosts for BNSOL holders.
LAYER’s published tokenomics allocate 51.23% to community and ecosystem, 17.11% to core contributors and advisors, 16.66% to investors and 15% to the Solayer Foundation. Community incentives were set to vest linearly over six months, the ecosystem and foundation pools quarterly over four years, the team after a one-year cliff over three more years, and investors after a one-year cliff over two years. Those unlocks are the main source of new LAYER supply in 2026.
What earns rewards today
At the time of writing, Solayer is not running a restaking points season like the one that preceded the Genesis Drop, and it has not announced a second LAYER airdrop. Rewards now come from the products themselves:
- sSOL staking yield from the Mega Validator, reflected in the sSOL exchange rate.
- sUSD yield from the Treasury-bill backing. sUSD is not available to US residents or to residents and citizens of several other sanctioned or restricted countries listed in the docs.
- Solayer Card Points on Solayer Pay spending. Each transaction earns points per dollar with a tiered multiplier: 1x under $100, 2x from $100 to $499, 3x from $500 to $2,499 and 5x from $2,500. Solayer says these points will become redeemable for partner perks and possible future airdrops, but there is no published conversion.
- LAYER staking on Solayer Chain, which the documentation describes as pre-launch: delegators will stake LAYER to validators, earn LAYER at a set APY minus validator commission, and face a seven-day unstaking cooldown. Check the docs for whether it is live before assuming any yield.
Where endoAVS delegation fits
The endoAVS model is Solayer’s own take on restaking. Instead of securing outside networks, delegated sSOL is tied to specific applications and represents a share of blockspace and bandwidth on the Mega Validator, so busy apps can get more reliable transaction inclusion. For a delegator, the practical points are that delegation happens inside the Solayer app, that it is separate from simply holding sSOL, and that any extra rewards depend on the individual app’s arrangements rather than on a protocol-wide points rate.
Step-by-step: staking SOL into sSOL and tracking it
- Go to app.solayer.org and connect a Solana wallet such as Phantom, Solflare or Backpack.
- Open the sSOL section, choose Stake, and enter the amount of SOL or supported LST to convert. The app shows the sSOL you will receive at the current exchange rate.
- Approve in your wallet after checking the amount and network fee.
- Decide how to use sSOL. Hold it, delegate it to an endoAVS from the app, or use it in a DeFi protocol listed in Solayer’s ecosystem pages.
- Track value through the exchange rate, not a points counter. As staking rewards accrue, each sSOL is redeemable for more SOL.
- When you want SOL back, use the Unstake tab, confirm the transaction, then click Deactivate. The stake cools down until the next Solana epoch, typically up to two days, after which you withdraw.
Risks specific to Solayer
- Validator concentration. sSOL is built around Solayer’s own Mega Validator. Performance problems or penalties there flow straight into sSOL’s value.
- Unstaking delay. Native redemption takes until the next epoch. Selling sSOL on a DEX is faster but may be below fair value in stressed markets.
- Bridge exposure. Moving assets to Solayer Chain uses sBridge, which relies on an off-chain guardian network. Bridges add a separate layer of risk.
- Leverage on Margin Trade. Perpetuals can be liquidated quickly, and auto-deleveraging rules apply in extreme moves.
- KYC and regional limits. Solayer Pay requires KYC and is unavailable in many countries, including most of the EU, Canada, Australia, India and a list of US states. sUSD excludes US residents.
- Token unlocks. Team and investor LAYER began unlocking after one-year cliffs from February 2025, adding supply through 2026 and beyond.
How to spot fake Solayer claim pages
- Domains. Official addresses include solayer.org, app.solayer.org, docs.solayer.org and, for the 2025 claim, claim.solayer.foundation. Lookalikes such as solayer-claim.org, solayerlabs.app or solayer.io are not Solayer.
- “Season 2” bait. No second LAYER airdrop has been announced. Pages offering one, or offering to convert Card Points into LAYER, should be treated as fake until @solayer_labs announces otherwise.
- Solana-specific drainers. Fake claim pages often ask you to sign a transaction that transfers token account authority or closes accounts. Read the wallet simulation; a claim should not move your SOL or sSOL out.
- Exchange promotions. Binance or Bybit LAYER campaigns happen inside the exchange account. They never require connecting a wallet to an outside site.
- Card phishing. Solayer Pay KYC happens in the official app. Do not upload identity documents through links received by DM.
FAQ
Is Solayer still running a points program for restaking?
Not at the time of writing. The Episode-based restaking campaign fed the February 2025 Genesis Drop. Current rewards come from staking yield, sUSD yield and Solayer Card Points.
Was the Genesis Drop vested?
No. Genesis Drop allocations were unlocked at claim; other allocations such as team and investors follow cliffs and vesting schedules.
How long does it take to unstake sSOL?
After unstaking and deactivating in the app, the stake cools down until the next Solana epoch, usually up to two days.
Can I earn LAYER by staking it?
LAYER staking on Solayer Chain is documented but marked pre-launch in the docs. Check its status before moving tokens.
Can anyone hold sUSD?
No. Solayer’s documentation excludes US residents and residents or citizens of several restricted countries from minting, redeeming or trading sUSD.
Verdict
Solayer’s restaking points chapter is closed, and the project has grown into a chain, a card, a stablecoin and a perps venue. sSOL remains a straightforward way to earn Solana staking yield if you accept Solayer’s validator and smart-contract risk. Card Points and future LAYER staking may add something on top, but neither has a published payout. Stick to solayer.org domains and ignore any “Season 2 claim”. This guide is general information, not financial advice.
