Jito jumps 12% to $0.76 as Solana DeFi revival gathers pace

Jito's 45% monthly gain signals a broader Solana ecosystem recovery as DeFi activity picks up across major protocols.

Jito (JTO) rose nearly 12% to $0.7600 in the 24 hours to 10:25 UTC on June 26, extending its monthly gain to more than 45% even as the broader crypto market faced renewed pressure, with bitcoin sliding below $60,000 for the first time since 2024.

"The Solana DeFi ecosystem is seeing a genuine revival in activity after months of stagnation, and Jito is one of the primary beneficiaries as the leading liquid staking protocol on the chain," Jason Wu, on-chain analyst at Edgen, said.

Jito traded between $0.6436 and $0.771 during the session, with the rally coinciding with renewed investor interest in several major Solana projects following new product launches and growing decentralized finance activity. Solana's native token SOL rose 0.91% over the past seven days to $68.88, outperforming bitcoin's 5.55% decline and ether's 9.1% drop over the same period, according to CoinGecko data. Solana's market capitalization stood at $39.99 billion, making it the fifth-largest cryptocurrency.

The divergence between Jito's rally and the broader crypto downturn suggests capital rotating within the Solana ecosystem rather than fresh inflows from outside, raising questions about whether the move can sustain if SOL fails to reclaim higher levels. Jito's next resistance sits near $0.80, a level it has not closed above since early May.

The rally comes as Solana DeFi protocols report rising total value locked and transaction volumes after months of declining activity. Jito, which operates as Solana's largest liquid staking protocol, benefits directly from increased staking demand as users seek yield in a market where most assets are declining. Liquid staking allows users to earn staking rewards while retaining the ability to trade or deploy their tokens elsewhere — a feature that has driven adoption across proof-of-stake chains.

The broader crypto market remains under pressure, with the CoinMarketCap Crypto Fear and Greed Index flashing "extreme fear" and bitcoin trading near $59,500, its lowest level this year. That macro backdrop makes Jito's outperformance particularly notable — most altcoins have suffered double-digit losses over the past month. Bitcoin's market dominance stood at 58.14%, near its highest levels of the year, indicating that capital has been fleeing altcoins for the relative safety of the largest cryptocurrency.

For Jito to sustain its rally, Solana's broader ecosystem needs to maintain momentum. SOL's 0.91% weekly gain, while modest, stands out against a sea of red across the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap. If Solana DeFi activity continues to recover, Jito could attract further capital as the primary staking gateway on the chain. The token's next major test will be whether it can break and hold above the $0.80 resistance level, a threshold that has capped upside since early May.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.