The Jito Foundation, a major validator and the organization behind the popular Solana liquid staking protocol, has announced a strategic relocation of its headquarters operations back to the United States. This move marks a significant reversal from its previous offshore posture, which was adopted due to regulatory uncertainty and a "hostile" climate.
The foundation cites clearer rules and wider crypto adoption in the U.S. as the primary drivers for the decision. It aims to rebuild as a U.S.-based legal entity to restore trust and expand mainstream and institutional access to Solana-based products. This shift follows over a year of policy work by Jito and broader industry lobbying efforts.
A formal return event is scheduled for January 8 in Washington, D.C., marking the start of a U.S. relaunch and a reset in relationship-building with policymakers, industry players, and institutional audiences. The announcement comes amidst weak token pricing, with JTO trading near an all-time low of approximately $0.34 and SOL trading near $123.54 after a pullback.
The Jito Foundation promotes its core products, including the JitoSOL liquid staking token, which represents about $1.85 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL), making it the fourth-largest protocol on Solana. It also provides "fair inclusion" block-building services through its Jito Network and supports BAM, a platform for neutral block construction. Jito's revenue model relies on tips for priority transaction execution.
The return occurs against a backdrop of ongoing challenges, including a class-action lawsuit involving Solana and Pump.fun, with public discussion linking Jito's tools to front-running and token sniping tactics—a role the foundation rejects, framing its services as standard block-building. The foundation had previously excluded U.S.-based wallets from its JTO airdrop in late 2023 due to compliance concerns, a policy now being reversed.
