February 2024 witnessed a flurry of high-profile moves across the Solana ecosystem, underscoring its rapid growth and rising prominence in the crypto world. Here are the biggest updates:

Solana Mobile's Smartphone a Blockbuster Hit

Solana Mobile's chapter two smartphone launch was an unprecedented success, racking up a staggering 100,000 pre-orders in under 30 days after registration opened on January 12th. This represented a 5x increase in demand compared to the original Solana Saga phone, which took nearly a year to sell 20,000 units. The new web3-optimized smartphones are slated to begin shipping in early 2025.

Helius Raises $9.5M to Turbocharge Solana Developer Ecosystem

Helius, a cutting-edge platform creating tools and infrastructure for Solana blockchain developers, secured $9.5 million in new funding from leading investors. The startup plans to use the capital influx to rapidly expand its engineering team, enhance its product offerings, and onboard more developers to build on Solana. As adoption accelerates, robust dev tooling will be critical for the ecosystem.

Worldcoin Project Acquires Solana Wallet Ottr Finance

In a move to bolster its crypto payments capabilities, the Worldcoin project led by Tools for Humanity acquired Solana-based digital wallet startup Ottr Finance. Ottr Wallet will be sunset as the team integrates with Tools for Humanity to build user-friendly self-sovereign identity and payment functionality into the ambitious Worldcoin protocol.

$25M Raise for Crypto Mobile Payments Firm Oobit

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko joined CMCC Global and 468 Capital in leading a $25 million Series A investment into crypto mobile payments company Oobit. The startup aims to make it radically easier for consumers to use cryptocurrencies for everyday purchases and bill payments via seamless mobile integrations.

Solana x Filecoin Partnership for Scalable Decentralized Storage

In a boost for Solana's decentralization and scalability, the blockchain launched a new partnership with Filecoin to leverage its decentralized storage marketplace. Solana will tap into Filecoin's robust network to enhance data redundancy, improve security, and reinforce its commitment to true decentralization as it continues rapid growth.

With high-profile deals, fundraises, and integrations happening virtually every week, the Solana juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down its blistering pace of innovation and expansion across the crypto ecosystem.