u.today
The CEO of Drip Haus, Vibhu Norby, has provided us with a detailed reflection of Solana's trajectory, providing insights into the platform's future. The past few months, from December to April, marked a period of intense activity for Solana, characterized by exhilarating highs and challenging lows. According to the CEO, Solana experienced a "huge wave," peaking at 160,000 daily active users (DAUs) and onboarding over half a million users during this period.
Despite the excitement, the influx led to significant congestion by early March, rendering the chain nearly unusable by month's end. This period was described as "sobering" for all decentralized applications (dApps) on Solana, prompting a rapid, or even rushed, development of scaling solutions which, under normal circumstances, would have taken an additional year to implement.
What Solana really needs
Now, as Solana stands on the brink of a new phase, there are four key foundations that will determine its sustainability and growth:
Scalability solutions: The swift response to congestion issues by accelerating scalability solutions is critical. The ability to handle large volumes of transactions without significant slowdowns will be essential for maintaining user confidence and operational efficiency.
Engagement metrics: The focus on "p5 DAUs" — a custom measure for highly engaged users — highlights the importance of not just attracting users but cultivating a base of dedicated ones. The CEO notes that Drip Haus has cultivated 25,000 highly engaged users daily, underscoring the potential for sustained growth.
Product quality: The improved quality of the product post-congestion issues has led to increased user satisfaction and retention. As the product evolves, maintaining high standards will be crucial for long-term success.
Community and vision: Engaging with the community and being transparent are pivotal for rallying user support and creating a strong ecosystem.
Looking ahead, these foundations set the stage for what Norby describes as an exciting next few months. With some stability and new use cases, we might see Solana grow in the future.