Solana is a high-performance blockchain platform that aims to provide fast and low-cost transactions for decentralized applications. It uses a novel consensus mechanism called "Proof of Stake Time" that allows for high throughput and low latency. Solana also provides a decentralized exchange (DEX) called Serum, which is designed to handle high-volume trading. The native cryptocurrency of the Solana network is called SOL.

Solana has several key features, including:
<ol>
 <li>High throughput: Solana uses a consensus mechanism called "Proof of Stake Time" that allows for high transaction speeds of up to 65,000 transactions per second.</li>
 <li>Low latency: Transactions on Solana are confirmed in under 400 milliseconds, making it one of the fastest blockchain platforms in the market.</li>
 <li>Low-cost transactions: Solana's architecture is designed to minimize the cost of transactions, making it suitable for a wide range of decentralized applications.</li>
 <li>Decentralized exchange: Solana has a built-in decentralized exchange called Serum, which allows for high-volume trading of assets.</li>
 <li>Ecosystem of dApps: Solana has a growing ecosystem of decentralized applications, ranging from gaming and NFTs to DeFi and security.</li>
 <li>Accessibility: Solana is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to a wide range of users, including developers, traders, and casual users.</li>
 <li>Security: Solana uses a combination of advanced cryptography and consensus mechanisms to ensure the security of the network and the assets stored on it.</li>
 <li>Interoperability: Solana is designed to be interoperable with other blockchain platforms, enabling the seamless transfer of assets between different networks.</li>
 <li>Scalability: Solana's architecture is designed to scale to meet the demands of a growing number of users and transactions.</li>
 <li>Community-driven: Solana has a strong and active community of developers and users who contribute to the development and growth of the platform.</li>
</ol>

Some of the top projects that have been built on the Solana blockchain include:
<ol>
 <li>Serum: A decentralized exchange (DEX) that is designed to handle high-volume trading.</li>
 <li>Raydium: A decentralized trading platform for automated market making and liquidity provision.</li>
 <li>Mirror: A decentralized trading and liquidity protocol for non-fungible tokens (NFTs).</li>
 <li>Solana Game Studio: An ecosystem for building decentralized games and applications on Solana.</li>
 <li>ChainGuardian: A decentralized security platform that helps protect and secure digital assets on Solana.</li>
 <li>Sollet: A user-friendly wallet that enables easy access to the Solana network.</li>
 <li>SolFlare: A browser extension wallet that allows users to interact with decentralized apps (dApps) and access their Solana assets.</li>
 <li>SolanaVault: A decentralized custody solution that allows users to safely store and manage their Solana assets.</li>
 <li>SolanaPay: A decentralized payment platform that enables fast and low-cost transactions on the Solana network.</li>
</ol>

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and projects are subject to evolve and change over time.

What is Solana?

1/22/2023