Can Solana rival Wall Street? Kyle Samani thinks so

Ethereum may have been first to pioneer decentralized finance, but in 2025, questions about scalability still linger.

According to Kyle Samani, chairman of Forward Industries, Ethereum’s limitations leave the door wide open for Solana. He argues that Solana is the only blockchain already capable of supporting capital markets on a global scale.

Recently dubbed the “Michael Saylor of Solana,” Samani is flattered by the comparison but insists his vision goes far beyond treasury strategy. Forward Industries, one of the largest treasury holders of Solana (SOL), the network’s native token, is working to bring capital markets onchain: from equity tokenization and shareholder governance to dividends and fundraising.

“We want to prove these things can be done,” he said in an in-depth conversation with Cointelegraph.

In the interview, Samani points to a pivotal moment: a speech by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins introducing “Project Crypto,” a plan to explore bringing US securities markets onchain. Samani viewed the remarks as a signal that traditional financial infrastructure is shifting to blockchain, suggesting Solana is well-positioned to support such a transition.

Whether Solana can realistically compete with Wall Street remains an open question. Samani discusses both the potential and the risks, citing prospects such as staking features on Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the challenges of navigating bear markets.

Watch the full interview on Cointelegraph’s YouTube channel to dive into Samani’s views on Ethereum, tokenized equities and the potential for Solana to serve as a global settlement layer for capital markets.

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