Solana Slashes $500M Sandwich Attacks as 75% of SOL Gets Staked in 2025 Security Overhaul
Key Takeaways:Sandwich Attacks: A $500 Million Problem Finally ConfrontedA Coordinated Ecosystem Response in 2025How Solana Reduced MEV Abuse by Up to 70%Solana Staking Hits a Structural Inflection PointNative Staking Closes the Gap with Liquid Staking
Liquid staking tokens (LSTs) ruled the years as they were flexible and able to be used in DeFi. In 2025, that balance shifted. Native staking took off as protocols sealed out old usability holes. The native staking TVL of Marinade increased 21% quarter-to-quarter to 5.3 million SOL and surpassed its liquid staking token mSOL. Cleaner UX and instant exit tools directly delegating out of self-custody wallets did not feel restrictive anymore. Native staking is an opportunity to provide yield with no smart contract layers, rehypothecation, or regulatory uncertainty to institutions and risk-conscious holders. Liquid staking did not die out. It was the default selection when it comes to DeFi-intensive strategies. But native staking proved to be the “clean” choice of capital that focused on clarity of custody and minimization of protocol risk. Beyond the numbers on the headline are a varied staking base. Small retail wallets were on the increase, and middle sized crypto-native funds began to optimize delegation actively in terms of uptime, MEV policies and performance. A rather small set of big custodial and institutional holders continued to have a disproportionate stake in staked SOL at the top end. Behavior also evolved. In 2025, it was no longer a “set and forget” staking.About Author
