ARK Invest Doubles Down on Solana: Institutional Staking Goes Mainstream
- Keyword Financial
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
Introduction
ARK Invest, the influential investment firm led by Cathie Wood, has selected SOL Strategies Inc. as its new Solana staking provider for the ARK Digital Asset Revolutions Fund. This move will see ARK transition its validator operations to SOL Strategies’ enterprise-grade infrastructure, which is integrated with BitGo, a leading institutional digital asset custodian. The partnership is seen as a significant validation of SOL Strategies’ institutional infrastructure and highlights the growing trust in professional staking solutions among major asset managers. By outsourcing validator operations, ARK Invest aims to securely capture staking rewards while maintaining strict custody standards, a critical factor for regulated investment vehicles.
This collaboration reflects a broader trend of institutional adoption of proof-of-stake networks like Solana. Staking, once dominated by retail investors, is now being embraced by large organizations seeking portfolio diversification, higher returns, and greater efficiency in digital asset management. Leading infrastructure providers such as BitGo, Figment, and Kiln have seen rapid growth in institutional staking, with billions of dollars in assets under management. ARK Invest’s decision to partner with SOL Strategies and leverage BitGo’s custody services demonstrates the increasing importance of secure, compliant, and scalable staking infrastructure for institutional investors.
Solana’s appeal to institutions is driven by its low fees, scalability, and vibrant developer ecosystem, making it a strong competitor to Ethereum in areas like DeFi, NFTs, and real-world asset tokenization. The recent approval of Solana ETFs in Canada and ARK’s ongoing investments in staking products further underscore the network’s growing financial ecosystem. As more asset managers like ARK Invest embrace staking-as-a-service models, the institutionalization of crypto staking is expected to accelerate, reshaping how large investors engage with blockchain technology and digital assets.
