Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest taps SOL Strategies for Solana staking

ARK Invest has migrated its Solana validator operations to Toronto-based SOL Strategies, a publicly traded firm with deep roots in crypto’s institutional infrastructure. The move signals a growing preference for specialized staking providers over traditional custodians.

According to a press release dated July 28, ARK Invest has migrated validator operations for its Digital Asset Revolutions Fund to SOL Strategies, a Toronto-based firm specializing in Solana (SOL) infrastructure.

The partnership leverages SOL Strategies’ integration with BitGo’s custody platform, providing ARK with institutional-grade staking services while avoiding the operational overhead of running independent validators. The move follows ARK’s earlier investments in Solana-focused ETFs, signaling a deliberate shift toward structured yield strategies.

“Cathie Wood and her team at ARK are widely respected for their crypto and tech investing. Their confidence in our validator capabilities reinforces our commitment to providing best-in-class staking solutions for institutional clients,” Leah Wald, CEO of SOL Strategies, said.

The institutional staking shift

ARK’s pivot to SOL Strategies reflects a broader institutional trend: the search for staking partners that offer both technical specialization and regulatory insulation. Unlike retail investors who might stake through exchanges, asset managers like ARK require infrastructure that meets compliance standards while minimizing slashing risks, a balance SOL Strategies achieves through its BitGo custody integration and Canadian regulatory standing.

SOL Strategies said it currently manages five validators with over 3.59 million Solana tokens, worth about $647 million, delegated. 88% of these tokens comes from third-party clients, suggesting institutional trust in its model.

Solana’s staking boom by the numbers

Data from Solana Compass reveals 403 million SOL, worth approximately $73.5 billion is currently staked. This represents a 22% increase year-to-date, a growth that coincides with Solana’s rising institutional adoption, evidenced by products like 3iQ’s Solana Staking ETF, in which ARK previously invested.

Yet risks persist: validator slashing penalties and Solana’s historical network outages remain concerns. SOL Strategies’ Q2 2025 financials show a $3.5 million net loss despite staking revenue growth, highlighting the capital-intensive nature of the business, though ARK’s backing could signal a turnaround.