This House believes that Solana culture is cooked

At Breakpoint 2025, with 7,000 attendees from 120 countries watching, a formal debate erupted over one of the most provocative questions facing the Solana ecosystem: Is Solana culture cooked? The outcome? The audience decisively voted that Solana culture remains very much alive—but not before some uncomfortable truths were aired about infighting, Twitter toxicity, and the growing pains of a maturing blockchain community.

Summary

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The debate format pitted representatives from DoubleZero (Brian Smith) and the Solana Foundation (Ramzy Ali and Pedro Miranda) against each other in a structured argument about the state of Solana's cultural identity. What emerged was a nuanced conversation about how the ecosystem has transformed from a scrappy underdog fighting against Ethereum to a diverse tapestry of often disconnected subcultures.

Brian Smith argued passionately that the original "chewing glass" monoculture—where everyone rallied around survival and basic product development—has completely fragmented. He pointed to the stark contrast between suited institutional attendees and meme coin enthusiasts at the very conference they were speaking at, suggesting these groups share almost nothing beyond existing on the same blockchain.

The opposition, led by Pedro Miranda and supported by an unnamed Solana Foundation speaker, countered that this diversity is actually a sign of strength. They pointed to $1.5 billion in protocol revenue, institutional adoption from JP Morgan and Western Union, and the ability of community members like Ramzy Ali to bridge multiple cultures simultaneously. The fact that 7,000 people traveled globally to celebrate Solana, they argued, proves the culture is alive and evolving rather than dead.

What made the debate particularly compelling was the unexpected common ground that emerged. Both sides acknowledged that Twitter toxicity and public infighting between protocols damages the ecosystem's reputation, particularly when pitching to institutions. The disagreement wasn't really about whether things have changed—everyone agreed they have—but whether that change represents cultural death or cultural maturation.

Key Points

The Evolution from Monoculture to Subcultures

Brian Smith painted a vivid picture of Solana's early days in 2021, when the ecosystem was defined by a singular mission: survive and prove that an alternative to Ethereum could exist. Tools were primitive, the chain broke frequently, and every successful product launch—from Phantom wallet to Mango Markets—was celebrated collectively by the entire community.

The FTX collapse in late 2022, rather than destroying this culture, actually reinforced it. The famous "75 devs" meme emerged from this period, symbolizing the small but determined group that refused to abandon ship. But success brought fragmentation. Today, Smith argued, the Jito community and Jupiter community have virtually no cultural overlap beyond technical collaboration. The Chinese Solana community operates entirely separately from the New York builder scene. People accomplish their own goals with their own values, and that's fundamentally different from shared culture.

Smith drew a comparison to the early internet, which had a recognizable culture around bulletin boards and posting, versus today's internet which is defined entirely by individual platforms and products. Bitcoin still has its "21 million digital gold" ethos; Ethereum maintains its decentralization culture. Solana, he argued, has no such unifying identity anymore.

The Case for Competitive Cooperation

Pedro Miranda presented the counter-argument that diverse subcultures with different interests can still cooperate effectively. He used Ramzy Ali as a living example—someone who actively participates as a "degenerate" power user of DeFi and consumer apps while also being capable of suiting up to pitch institutions on building on Solana.

This bridging ability, Miranda argued, has delivered concrete results. Major financial institutions have chosen Solana as their blockchain home, and protocols have generated massive revenue. He specifically cited the example of DFlow creating specialized order flow for market makers, which Jupiter then integrated to improve their DEX—a chain of competitive cooperation that improved the entire network.

Miranda emphasized that the Solana Foundation itself embodies this cultural diversity, with different teams handling "fun" consumer applications and serious institutional outreach. The governance mechanisms like SIMD proposals demonstrate how strong opinions can be loosely held and changed through open debate, with anyone able to access top protocol engineers via Twitter to make their case.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Twitter Toxicity

Perhaps the most honest moment in the debate came when both sides acknowledged the elephant in the room: public infighting on social media damages Solana's reputation. The Foundation speaker specifically called out that institutions have questioned why multiple routers on the chain are arguing with each other publicly on Twitter.

Examples mentioned included recent tensions between Jito and Harmonic, conflicts between Jupiter and other protocols, and general PVP (player versus player) behavior on the timeline. While the debate format positioned these speakers as opponents, they actually agreed that this behavior is counterproductive and doesn't look good when trying to attract new users or institutional capital.

The argument wasn't that competition is bad—healthy competition drives innovation. The problem is when that competition becomes toxic public spectacle rather than productive rivalry. Both sides suggested the community needs to find ways to disagree and compete without making the entire ecosystem look dysfunctional to outsiders.

Cultural Death and Rebirth

A fascinating philosophical question emerged during the debate: Can a culture die and be reborn? Ramzy Ali was directly asked this and gave a nuanced response—yes, theoretically cultures can die and be reborn, but she doesn't believe that's what happened with Solana. Instead, she sees continuous evolution and maturation.

Brian Smith and his debate partner used the Phoenix metaphor explicitly, pointing to (ironically) one of the applications that presented at Breakpoint itself. Their argument was that the original monoculture is definitively gone, but that doesn't mean Solana culture is dead forever—it means it's being reborn into something different.

This framing allowed for a more productive conclusion than simply declaring victory or defeat. The culture that built Solana from 75 developers to thousands may be "cooked" in its original form, but what's emerging may be stronger, more diverse, and better suited to the ecosystem's current scale and ambitions.

Facts + Figures

• 7,000 attendees from 120 countries attended Breakpoint 2025, with 25,000 more watching online

• Protocols on Solana have generated close to $1.5 billion in revenue year-to-date

• JP Morgan and Western Union are among institutions that have chosen Solana for their financial products

• The famous "75 devs" meme originated from the period immediately following FTX's collapse in late 2022

• Pedro Miranda joined the Solana Foundation exactly one week after FTX collapsed

• Breakpoint 2025 was Pedro Miranda's fifth Breakpoint and third as a Foundation member

• The debate resulted in the audience voting that Solana culture is NOT cooked

• Brian Smith has been active in Solana since early 2021, full-time for over four years

• The conference featured both institutional representatives in suits and a "huge Bonk dog" outside representing meme coin culture

• The debate specifically called out public disputes between Jito and Harmonic, as well as Jupiter and other protocols

Top Quotes

"Is it Solana against the world? No, Solana is doing quite well." - Brian Smith

"Solana is nowhere close to a monoculture. It is hundreds, thousands of subcultures that have very little overlap, besides just the basics of existing in a human society." - Brian Smith

"Competition and cooperation is orthogonal to growth and innovation." - Pedro Miranda

"If no one cared about culture, we wouldn't be having a debate on if it's cooked or not. This is a clear indication that there is culture." - Unnamed Solana Foundation Speaker

"When I hear the words Solana culture is cooked, I hear frustration with change." - Unnamed Solana Foundation Speaker

"Institutions have come to me many times and asked why are all three of the routers on your chain arguing with each other on Twitter." - Ramzy Ali

"Industries don't scale when everyone agrees. They scale when we agree on how we agree." - Unnamed Solana Foundation Speaker

"Let's stop getting distracted with comments on X and crypto Twitter and build the NASDAQ on chain." - Ramzy Ali

"The vibes were friendly and welcoming and warm, which honestly drew me to the ecosystem initially. That feeling, I believe, is still here." - Unnamed Solana Foundation Speaker

"Much like the Phoenix, it will rise from the ashes." - Ramzy Ali

Questions Answered

Has Solana's original culture from 2021-2022 survived to the present day?

No, by broad consensus among all debate participants, the original "chewing glass" monoculture has not survived intact. In the early days, Solana was defined by a singular mission to survive against Ethereum's dominance, with everyone celebrating each new product launch collectively. The FTX collapse reinforced this siege mentality temporarily. However, success has transformed the ecosystem into hundreds of distinct subcultures—from institutional DeFi to meme coins to DePIN—that have very little overlap beyond using the same blockchain. The debate wasn't really about whether this change occurred, but whether it represents cultural death or healthy maturation.

Do different Solana communities actually collaborate with each other?

Yes, there is technical and business collaboration between different Solana subcultures, though they may not share cultural values. Pedro Miranda cited the example of DFlow creating specialized order flow products that Jupiter integrated into their DEX, improving the network for everyone. The Solana Foundation itself bridges different communities, with staff members who can engage authentically with DeFi degens while also pitching institutions. However, the collaboration is primarily functional rather than cultural—the Jito community and Jupiter community work together technically but don't share the same meetup culture or values.

Is public infighting on Twitter hurting Solana's reputation?

Yes, both sides of the debate agreed this is a significant problem. Ramzy Ali specifically mentioned that institutions have questioned why multiple routers on the chain are publicly arguing with each other on Twitter. Recent tensions between Jito and Harmonic, as well as Jupiter and other protocols, were cited as examples. While healthy competition drives innovation, toxic public disputes damage the ecosystem's professional reputation and confuse new users trying to understand Solana. The debate participants called for the community to find ways to compete and disagree without making the ecosystem look dysfunctional to outsiders.

What evidence supports the claim that Solana culture is still strong?

The most compelling evidence presented was the attendance at Breakpoint 2025 itself—7,000 people from 120 countries traveling to celebrate Solana, with 25,000 more watching online. Additional evidence included nearly $1.5 billion in protocol revenue generated this year, institutional adoption from major players like JP Morgan and Western Union, and the ecosystem's survival and subsequent thriving after the FTX collapse. The speakers argued that without strong culture and community, no blockchain could have survived the existential threat that FTX's collapse represented or grown to current scale.

How does Solana's cultural diversity compare to other blockchains?

Solana's cultural fragmentation is actually unique compared to competitors. Bitcoin maintains a monolithic "21 million digital gold" culture focused on protocol ossification. Ethereum has a core decentralization ethos that defines community discussions. Even newer chains like Avalanche and Hyperliquid have identifiable cultural centers. Solana, by contrast, has no single defining cultural identity—asking ten people "What is Solana?" will yield ten different answers. Brian Smith argued this makes Solana's cultural situation fundamentally different, while the opposition suggested this diversity is actually a strength that enables broader adoption.

Can crypto cultures die and be reborn?

This philosophical question was directly posed during the debate. The consensus was yes—cultures can die and be reborn—but disagreement emerged about whether this applies to Solana. The Foundation speaker argued Solana culture never died, it simply evolved and matured. Brian Smith and Ramzy Ali suggested the original monoculture is definitively gone (and thus "cooked") but what's emerging is a new cultural phoenix rising from those ashes. The Phoenix metaphor, borrowed from a protocol that presented at the same conference, captured this idea of transformation through apparent death.

What does Solana culture need to improve going forward?

Both debate sides agreed that reducing Twitter toxicity should be a priority. Public PVP between protocols and founders creates a poor impression for potential institutional partners and confuses new users. The community needs to maintain healthy competition while avoiding destructive public disputes. Additionally, there's a need to find new unifying elements as the original survival-mode culture has faded. Ramzy Ali closed by urging the community to "stop getting distracted with comments on X and crypto Twitter and build the NASDAQ on chain"—suggesting that shared ambitious goals could provide cultural cohesion where shared struggles once did.