ARK Invest Fuels Solana’s Institutional Expansion—Soccer Company Adopts Digital Treasury

ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has partnered with the UAE-based Pulsar Group to support a $300 million PIPE (private investment in public equity) transaction involving

, a sports ownership business listed on Nasdaq that is rebranding as Solmate. The company is shifting its focus from overseeing football clubs to building a digital asset treasury within the (SOL) network. Announced on September 18, 2025, this move positions Solmate at the forefront of the rising institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure and staking.

Going forward, Solmate plans to accumulate and stake

tokens and set up validator operations in Abu Dhabi. By utilizing bare-metal servers, Solmate will run advanced validator nodes, allowing investors in the region direct access to staking returns. This infrastructure is designed to surpass conventional models and supports the UAE’s wider digital innovation strategy. The Solana Foundation has issued a letter of intent to Solmate, providing discounted SOL tokens and assigning two board seats. Taking the helm as CEO is Marco Santori, previously Chief Legal Officer at Kraken and a partner at Pantera Capital, who brings significant experience in digital asset management and large-scale blockchain operations.

The investment round saw demand exceed available allocations, attracting participants from the UAE, RockawayX, the Solana Foundation, and ARK Invest. Pulsar Group, the primary sponsor, has reiterated its dedication to making Solana central to the UAE’s blockchain initiatives. The group’s strategy is to boost Solana’s presence in the region by forming key partnerships and developing robust infrastructure. Solmate’s board features distinguished economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, RockawayX CEO Viktor Fischer, and members from the Solana Foundation. Laffer, celebrated for his contributions to economic theory, has praised digital assets as a milestone in monetary evolution, while Fischer is optimistic about Solana’s future as a leading blockchain in capital markets.

Solmate’s change in direction illustrates the wider trend of institutional support for Solana. According to the Strategic Solana Reserve, 16 organizations collectively control 15.83 million SOL, accounting for about 2.75% of the token’s total supply.

holds the largest share with 6.8 million SOL (valued at roughly $1.63 billion), followed by and Corp., each possessing nearly $400 million worth of SOL. , another significant participant, recently acquired 6.5 million SOL, adding $1.55 billion to its Solana reserves. These developments point to growing institutional trust in Solana as a valuable and income-generating asset.

Solmate’s plan to list on both Nasdaq and a UAE exchange highlights its global vision and the increasing interest in Solana infrastructure within regulated markets. This strategy is similar to other prominent Solana-based treasuries, such as DeFi Development Corp. and

Technologies, which are also increasing their positions and exploring opportunities in staking and lending. The recent influx of institutional investments has helped propel SOL’s price upward by nearly 38.7% over the last month. While the token’s value has fallen from its peak of $293.31, Solana remains a top choice for institutional investors targeting high-performance blockchain networks.

Solana’s ecosystem continues to attract attention due to its rapid transaction speeds, low fees, and vibrant developer base. Industry reports indicate Solana can process more than 65,000 transactions per second—far outpacing Ethereum’s 15 TPS—while maintaining energy efficiency. These strengths have made Solana a go-to platform for DeFi, NFTs, and AI-driven projects. As more organizations incorporate Solana into their treasury management, demand for validator infrastructure and yield-focused solutions is expected to rise, strengthening Solana’s role in the institutional blockchain sphere.