In the world of blockchain, choosing the right platform is crucial for projects that are aiming to achieve high scalability, security, and efficiency. As Roam Network announced its migration to Solana Mainnet, we will dive into what Solana is and understand the reasons behind Roam’s decision to build on Solana.
What is Solana?
Solana is a fast-growing blockchain platform designed to support decentralized applications and crypto projects. As the third-generation blockchain infrastructure, Solana aims to provide a fast, secure, and scalable infrastructure. The Solana ecosystem hosts hundreds of projects, spanning Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), gaming applications, and more.
With a market cap of $81 billion at its peak, Solana clearly showed its dominance in the crypto space. Unlike other chains that use Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS), at the heart of Solana’s protocol is Proof of History (PoH), providing a digital record of events occurring on the network at any time. This can be visualized as a cryptographic clock, assigning timestamps to each transaction on the network, supported by a simple data structure. Proof of History works in conjunction with Proof of Stake to aid Solana in reaching a consensus, keeping the network secure, operational, and validating transactions.
Four Reasons Why Roam Chose Solana
The decision to migrate all of Roam’s on-chain transactions to the Solana blockchain comes from the commitment to providing a seamless and efficient experience for its growing community. Solana stands out as a perfect match for Roam to build on, thanks to its undeniable advantages.
1. Scalability and High Speed
Solana’s incomparable scalability and fast transactions serve as a stepping stone for supporting Roam’s goal of improving services in the decentralized landscape. Solana’s scalability stands out as one of its most notable features. With the capacity to handle over 65,000 transactions per second (TPS), Solana surpasses the capability of Ethereum or Bitcoin, which can manage only 15–20 TPS. In addition, on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), transactions are stored within the specific contract’s storage, which can create congestion when processing multiple transactions. Meanwhile, Solana virtual machine (SVM) account model separates data, allowing programs that do not interact with the same data to run concurrently. This helps to parallelize transactions and reduce fees. In 2024, Solana became the network with the fifth-highest Total Value Locked (TVL) as its TVL rose briefly above the $2 billion mark. This impressive capability is achieved through Solana’s innovative architecture, consensus mechanism, and parallel transaction processing. The combination of these elements allows Solana to maintain high throughput with low confirmation times, making it an ideal platform for applications requiring real-time interactions and large transaction volumes like Roam.
2. Low Transaction Fees
For users and developers, transaction cost is one of the key factors when choosing a platform. Solana addresses this concern by offering low gas fees, making it an appealing option without the burden of high fees. This affordability is made possible by Solana’s capacity to handle large transaction volumes without congestion or delays. In addition, Solana’s dynamic state-sharding system plays a crucial role in reducing the computational load on individual nodes, further contributing to the affordability of processing transactions. By leveraging Solana’s cost-effective transactions, Roam aims to minimize costs for its community, fostering accessibility and affordability for all users.
3. Built-In Interoperability
Solana’s advanced interoperability features present a strategic opportunity for Roam to enhance its network capabilities in building a decentralized global WiFi network. Through Solana’s seamless cross-chain interoperability, Roam gains the ability to integrate with various blockchain networks, allowing developers to build applications that can interact with other blockchains and their tokens. This interoperability not only enables Roam to create partnerships with other decentralized applications (dApps) and blockchain initiatives but also fosters collaboration with technologies such as Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Internet of Things (IoT) projects. By leveraging Solana’s interoperability, Roam can access a broad spectrum of resources, technologies, and user communities, thereby improving its service and expanding its market presence. Solana’s interoperability serves as a great support for Roam’s growth, positioning the project at the forefront of innovation in DePIN.
4. Strong community
Solana has a vibrant developer and user community that is actively discussing new ideas, sharing best practices, and contributing to the ecosystem’s growth. With 578,000 active users on a 5-day average, Roam stands to benefit greatly from this surge in user engagement. This community not only enriches the platform but also serves as an inviting gateway for newcomers to join the Roam network. By integrating with Solana, Roam can extend its reach and accessibility to Solana’s user bases, attracting a wider audience.
In conclusion, Roam migrates to Solana as its blockchain platform is grounded in Solana’s exceptional scalability, low transaction costs, robust security, interoperability, and large community. Solana's blockchain aligns with Roam’s vision for growth and innovation. By leveraging Solana’s advanced technology and ecosystem, Roam aims to revolutionize global WiFi connectivity, paving the way for a decentralized and accessible future.
