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Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division, a16z Crypto, has made a $50M investment in Jito, the Solana-based protocol building infrastructure to make blockchain markets faster, fairer, and more efficient.
What’s the Scoop?
- Strategic Token Investment: A16z will receive an unspecified number of JTO tokens for its $50M investment. This deal is among a16z’s largest crypto token bets since the post-FTX downturn. It follows other 2025 strategic bets, including $55M for LayerZero and $70M for EigenLayer, as the firm gradually re-engages with crypto infrastructure plays.
- Backing the BAM Era: The investment follows the launch of Jito’s Block Assembly Marketplace (BAM), a system designed to improve how transactions are ordered and executed on Solana. By encrypting transactions until execution and allowing decentralized apps to define custom rules for transaction priority, BAM aims to eliminate predatory MEV behavior and deliver better prices for users.
- Deep Roots in Solana: a16z was an early
Solana investor, meanwhile,
Jito anchors a key layer of Solana’s economy, supporting $2.8B in liquid staking activity.
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