Crypto Videos

We Chewed a Lot of Glass" — Building on Solana in the Bear Market (Ft. Jito Labs CEO Lucas Bruder)

In this interview, Jito Labs CEO Lucas Bruder explains how his firm, Jetto, has become the largest liquid‑staking protocol on Solana and a de‑facto validator client provider, powering roughly 80‑90% of the network’s blocks. He frames Jetto’s mission as an economic growth engine for Solana, combining staking services with a custom validator client that filters transaction spam much like Cloudflare shields web traffic. Bruder highlights several data points: Solana’s transaction fees are measured in pennies versus Ethereum’s $1,500‑plus spikes, and the chain now handles the highest DEX volume in crypto. Jetto’s new BAM product aims to give applications deeper control over block production, while the team’s focus on low‑level engineering and spam mitigation has helped keep block space cheap and abundant. The company’s lean 21‑person staff has stayed concentrated on Solana despite bear‑market temptations to jump to other ecosystems. Memorable remarks pepper the conversation: “Bitcoin is a pet rock; Solana is doubling and continues to double capacity,” and the podcast’s title, “We chewed a lot of glass,” underscores the gritty persistence required to build infrastructure in a down market. Bruder also notes that Solana’s capacity is slated to increase by 50% this year and double again by year‑end, reinforcing its claim as “NASDAQ speed on a blockchain.” The implications are clear: Jetto’s validator dominance and liquid‑staking liquidity provide a foundation for on‑chain finance, making Solana an increasingly attractive venue for developers and traders seeking ultra‑low fees and high throughput. By staying single‑chain and maintaining a tight, mission‑driven team, Jetto demonstrates how focused infrastructure can thrive even when broader crypto markets contract, potentially accelerating the shift of traditional financial services onto decentralized platforms.