ARK Invest Powers Solana's Institutional Push—Football Firm Becomes Digital Treasury

Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has joined forces with the United Arab Emirates-based Pulsar Group to back a $300 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) deal involving Brera Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed sports ownership company rebranding as Solmate. The firm will transition from managing football clubs to becoming a digital asset treasury focused on the Solana (SOL) ecosystem. The transaction, announced on September 18, 2025, positions Solmate as a key player in the growing institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure and staking.

The restructured company plans to accumulate and stake SOL tokens while building validator operations in Abu Dhabi. Solmate will leverage bare-metal servers to run high-performance validator nodes, offering regional investors direct access to staking yields. This infrastructure aims to outperform traditional setups and aligns with the UAE’s broader digital transformation agenda. The Solana Foundation has signed a letter of intent with Solmate, granting the firm discounted access to SOL tokens and two board seats. Marco Santori, former Chief Legal Officer at Kraken and partner at Pantera Capital, has been appointed as CEO of Solmate, bringing deep expertise in digital asset treasuries and institutional-grade blockchain operations.

The deal was oversubscribed, with commitments from UAE-based investors, RockawayX, and the Solana Foundation, in addition to ARK Invest. Pulsar Group, the lead sponsor, emphasized its commitment to positioning Solana at the center of the UAE’s blockchain strategy. The firm aims to accelerate Solana’s adoption in the region through strategic partnerships and advanced infrastructure development. Solmate’s board includes renowned economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, RockawayX CEO Viktor Fischer, and representatives from the Solana Foundation. Laffer, known for his economic theories, has praised digital assets as a transformative step in monetary history, while Fischer expressed confidence in Solana’s potential to become a dominant blockchain for capital markets.

The strategic shift by Solmate reflects a broader trend in the institutional adoption of Solana. According to the Strategic Solana Reserve, 16 institutions collectively hold 15.83 million SOL, representing approximately 2.75% of the token’s total supply. Forward Industries leads with 6.8 million SOL, valued at roughly $1.63 billion, followed by Sharps Technology and DeFi Development Corp. with close to $400 million each in holdings. Galaxy Digital, another major player, recently acquired 6.5 million SOL, adding $1.55 billion to its Solana treasury. These developments highlight the increasing confidence in Solana as both a store of value and a yield-generating asset.

Solmate’s dual listing strategy—on Nasdaq and a UAE exchange—underscores its global ambitions and the growing appeal of Solana-based infrastructure in regulated markets. The company’s approach mirrors other institutional-grade Solana treasuries, such as DeFi Development Corp. and Helius Medical Technologies, which are also expanding their holdings and exploring staking and lending opportunities. The recent surge in institutional investment has coincided with a rise in SOL’s price, which has increased by nearly 38.7% over the past 30 days. Despite a decline from its all-time high of $293.31, the token remains a focal point for institutional investors seeking exposure to high-performance blockchain ecosystems.

The Solana ecosystem continues to gain traction due to its high transaction speed, low costs, and active developer community. According to industry data, Solana processes over 65,000 transactions per second—far exceeding Ethereum’s 15 TPS—while maintaining energy efficiency. These attributes have made it a preferred platform for decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and AI applications. As more firms integrate Solana into their treasury strategies, the demand for validator infrastructure and yield-generating tools is expected to grow, further solidifying Solana’s position in the institutional blockchain landscape.