ARK Invest Picks SOL Strategies for 3.6M SOL Staking – What’s Behind the Switch?
Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has named SOL Strategies as its new Solana staking provider, marking a deeper move into crypto-native yield strategies.
The decision will see ARK transition the ARK Digital Asset Revolutions Fund’s Solana validator operations to the infrastructure operated by SOL Strategies, a publicly traded Canadian company, and the institutional custodian BitGo.
ARK Shifts Its 3.6M Solana Staking to SOL Strategies, Citing Institutional Infrastructure
The ARK Digital Asset Revolutions Fund, launched in 2020, invests in 10 to 12 digital assets with a long-term strategy focused on four- to five-year market cycles. As of now, the fund has over 3.59 million SOL delegated, worth approximately C$888 million (US$647.2 million), spread across more than 5,700 unique wallets.
Only 12% of the staked assets come from ARK’s treasury, with the majority contributed by third-party investors.
“Being selected as ARK’s Solana staking provider represents significant validation of our institutional infrastructure and market position,” said Leah Wald, CEO of SOL 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.”
Speaking earlier this year at Solana Accelerate, Wood singled out Solana’s design as a key differentiator. “Solana’s infrastructure is much more agile,” she noted. “At ARK, one of the things we look for in new technology is falling costs and accelerating uptake, and that’s certainly Solana.”
While staking remains attractive for its passive yield potential, it does come with risks. Validators that misbehave or go offline can be penalized through slashing, leading to losses for stakers. According to Solana Compass, over 403 million SOL, worth more than $73.5 billion, are currently staked on the network.
For SOL Strategies, the partnership with ARK comes amid a period of expansion and financial recalibration. The company reported a $3.5 million loss in Q2 2025, though it saw strong growth in staking and validation revenue.
In March 2025, SOL Strategies acquired three Solana validators, including Laine, one of the network’s most established operators. It also took ownership of the validator analytics platform Stakewiz.com.
In April, the company partnered with Pudgy Penguins to launch the PENGU Validator, which offers returns between 7% and 11% based on current network conditions.
That same month, the company announced a $500 million convertible note facility with ATW Partners to acquire and stake SOL tokens through validators managed by SOL Strategies.
As of June 2, SOL Strategies reported holding more than 420,000 Solana (SOL) tokens, worth approximately $61 million. The partnership with ARK adds another high-profile name to its validator business, solidifying its presence in the institutional staking market.
According to our sources, SOL Strategies’ Nasdaq listing is expected in the first half of August as part of its expansion into the U.S. market. On June 19, the company, which currently trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), filed a Form 40-F registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as it seeks to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker “STKE”.
To meet Nasdaq’s minimum share price requirements, SOL Strategies announced a 1-for-8 share consolidation on July 23. The reverse stock split, approved during the company’s annual general meeting in June, is expected to take effect around August 5, pending final approval from the CSE.
Currently, the company has 172.2 million common shares outstanding, along with more than 12 million warrants and 5.3 million stock options.
Despite its upcoming U.S. listing, SOL Strategies will continue to operate as a “foreign private issuer” under SEC guidelines. This designation allows the firm to follow Canadian corporate governance standards, which include maintaining a board structure different from that required for U.S.-based companies listed on Nasdaq.
Meanwhile, investor confidence appears to be on the rise. Insider buying has picked up, with investor Tony Guoga acquiring more than 1.25 million shares since late June. His latest purchase, 750,000 shares, was made on July 24, further fueling speculation around the company’s U.S. expansion plans.
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