Solana News Today: Coinbase's DEX Spree Pivots to Solana's $1T On-Chain Boom

Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN) has announced the acquisition of Vector.fun, a Solana-based decentralized exchange (DEX) platform, marking its ninth strategic purchase of 2025. The deal, expected to close by year-end, underscores Coinbase's aggressive expansion into the Solana ecosystem, which has seen cumulative DEX volume surpass $1 trillion this year. The integration of Vector's technology into Coinbase's consumer trading division aims to accelerate access to on-chain assets and enhance execution speed for traders in one of crypto's fastest-growing markets.

The acquisition aligns with Coinbase's broader vision of building an "everything exchange," a platform enabling users to trade all on-chain assets with improved liquidity and lower costs. Vector's infrastructure, which detects and supports newly launched Solana assets in real time, will be embedded into Coinbase's DEX offerings, expanding access to a broader range of tokens. The move also follows Coinbase's recent purchases of Deribit ($2.9 billion) and Echo ($375 million), reflecting a strategic pivot toward consolidating high-velocity trading ecosystems.

As part of the integration, Vector's standalone mobile and desktop apps will be phased out, while the Tensor Foundation—the entity overseeing the Tensor NFT marketplace and its native token—will remain independent. This separation is critical, as the Tensor Foundation has already announced plans to restructure its tokenomics, including burning 21.6% of the TNSR supply and locking founder allocations for three additional years. The TNSR token surged over 200% in the 24 hours preceding the Coinbase announcement, raising speculation about potential insider trading.

The Solana ecosystem has emerged as a focal point for Coinbase's expansion, driven by its high-speed blockchain and the popularity of meme coins. With Vector's team joining Coinbase's consumer trading division, the exchange aims to refine its order-routing capabilities and solidify its position as a gateway to Solana's $1 trillion DEX market. However, the acquisition comes amid a challenging macroeconomic backdrop for crypto, with Bitcoin recently hitting a three-month low below $80,554 and Coinbase's stock dropping 0.6% on the news.