Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm, known as a16z Crypto, has made a major move in the Solana ecosystem. The venture capital firm announced a $50 million investment in Jito, a Solana-based protocol that improves how the blockchain runs.
Jito confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a milestone moment. According to Brian Smith, executive director at the Jito Foundation, the deal gives a16z a share of Jito’s native tokens. He described it as the largest single investment ever made in Jito, adding that it reflects a long-term partnership between the two.
Building the Future of Solana
Jito plays an important role in how Solana works behind the scenes. Solana, one of the fastest blockchains in crypto, relies on validators. These are computers that help confirm transactions. These validators must “stake” tokens as a security deposit to keep the network honest.
📣🚨NEWS: @a16zcrypto has made a $50M strategic investment in Jito!
With BAM live on mainnet, Jito’s growing momentum across DeFi, and institutional adoption continuing to accelerate via JitoSol ETF’s, things are just getting started.
Accelerate Jito. pic.twitter.com/pKGhLyvkdI
— Jito (@jito_sol) October 16, 2025
But staking can tie up large amounts of money for long periods. That’s where Jito’s liquid staking solution comes in. It lets validators stake tokens while still being able to use or trade them. This way, it improves liquidity across the network.
Smith explained that Jito is “deeply tied to Solana’s growth,” helping developers run transactions faster and more efficiently.
Strengthening Long-Term Ties
Deals like this are common in crypto, where investors buy tokens directly from a project to support its growth. a16z has been active in this area, recently investing $55 million in LayerZero and $70 million in EigenLayer.
Today we are announcing that @a16zcrypto is making an investment in @jito_sol (JTO) tokens and partnering with @buffalu__ @segfaultdoctor @brian_smith_0 and team to help Solana become the dominant venue for Internet Capital Markets.@Solana was founded in 2017 to build a… pic.twitter.com/oswFGMNgee
— Ali Yahya (@alive_eth) October 16, 2025
With Jito, a16z is signaling deeper confidence in Solana’s ecosystem. The partnership not only gives Jito more capital to grow but also highlights how major investors continue to see long-term potential in blockchain infrastructure,even in a quiet market.
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