a16z Crypto Invests $50 Million in Solana-Based Jito
Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division, a16z Crypto, has invested $50 million in Jito. The deal was announced on October 16, 2025. Jito is a liquid staking and infrastructure protocol built on Solana.
The investment was made through a private token sale. a16z Crypto received Jito’s native JTO tokens. The funds will improve Solana’s staking network by enhancing liquidity, validator performance, and efficiency.
Jito’s Role in Solana Staking
Brian Smith, executive director of the Jito Foundation, called this the largest single investment Jito has received. He said it creates a long-term partnership between Jito and a16z Crypto.
Jito aims to boost validator performance on Solana. It allows users to earn staking rewards while keeping their tokens accessible. The platform also uses maximum extractable value (MEV) technology. This technology increases rewards and improves network security.
Currently, Jito secures about 14 million SOL in stake and manages over $2.8 billion in total value locked. Although staked SOL dropped by around 4 million tokens since May, the protocol still generates more than $400 million annually from decentralized block construction.
a16z Crypto’s Continued Support for Solana
Ali Yahya, general partner at a16z Crypto, said, “We’re excited to back Jito and its stellar team’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of decentralized finance.”
This investment follows other crypto deals by a16z in 2025, including $55 million in LayerZero and $70 million in EigenLayer. It shows the firm’s ongoing interest in the crypto sector.
Andreessen Horowitz has supported Solana before. The firm participated in Solana’s $314 million private token sale in 2021.
