Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has rejected the idea that projects operating outside the network’s main blockchain should be considered part of Solana, following a public disagreement with the founder of decentralized trading platform BULK.
Summary
- Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said projects operating outside Solana’s main blockchain are effectively independent networks.
- His remarks followed BULK’s announcement that it intends to expand its trading platform across multiple blockchains.
- BULK founder kdot said the platform needs its own execution infrastructure to support faster trading and risk management.
- Yakovenko acknowledged backing BULK’s founders but said his priority remains products operating directly on Solana.
- BULK plans to connect collateral from networks including Arc, Tempo, Arbitrum and HyperEVM to a shared trading system.
In an October 29 post on X, Yakovenko argued that any project running outside Solana’s layer-1 (L1) blockchain effectively operates as an independent network. His comments came after BULK announced plans to connect its trading infrastructure to several blockchains, moving beyond its original focus on the Solana ecosystem.
“If it’s not on the L1, it’s not on solana and it’s on its own L1,” Yakovenko wrote, explaining why he has resisted supporting projects that do not operate directly on Solana’s main network.
Solana co-founder pushes back against projects outside its main network
The disagreement began after BULK founder kdot published a detailed explanation of the platform’s decision to pursue multichain trading. The company has developed specialized infrastructure for perpetual futures, with its own order book, matching engine and risk management system.
In his statement, kdot acknowledged disagreements with Solana leadership over how the platform should operate. He explained that BULK had spent considerable time developing a network designed for high-frequency trading, where faster execution and continuous risk checks are essential.
BULK’s founder argued that describing the platform solely as a Solana decentralized exchange no longer captured its intended business model. The company wants customers to access the same trading markets regardless of which supported blockchain holds their funds.
Yakovenko responded by drawing a distinction between applications running directly on Solana and platforms maintaining their own execution networks.
His position follows previous criticism of layer-2 scaling systems. As crypto.news previously reported, Yakovenko argued in March 2025 that an optimized layer-1 blockchain could offer better performance without introducing the security and operational complexities associated with separate scaling networks.
BULK founder defends multichain expansion plans
BULK’s proposed architecture would allow traders to deposit funds through supported networks while using a common order book and margin system.
At present, the company says its collateral sits on Solana, while BULK’s internal ledger tracks balances, trading positions and margin requirements. Its proposed expansion would connect other networks, including Arc, Tempo, Arbitrum and HyperEVM, to the same execution infrastructure.
Under the proposed system, a user could deposit funds from Solana, trade through BULK’s shared markets and withdraw available capital through HyperEVM. Each supported network would retain its own transaction confirmation and settlement requirements at the funding stage.
Kdot argued that requiring customers to transfer assets to one particular blockchain before trading creates unnecessary steps, especially for users entering cryptocurrency markets through wallets, payment applications and neobanks.
The founder maintained that bringing collateral from different networks into one trading system could support shared liquidity without separating users into different markets. However, the announcement did not provide a deployment timetable for the additional blockchain integrations.
Yakovenko says he still supports BULK’s founders
The disagreement became more personal when kdot pointed out that Yakovenko held an investment interest in BULK, writing, “You are literally on the cap table.”
Yakovenko did not dispute the claim. Instead, he explained that investing in a founder did not mean agreeing with every decision their company makes.
“I don’t want you guys to fail. Go crush it. But I’ve got my own product to worry about,” he replied.
He referenced Bullet and Backpack while explaining his position, emphasizing that his support for entrepreneurs could coexist with his preference for products built directly on Solana.
Kdot accepted the distinction, acknowledging that founders must make decisions based on their own products and customers.
The exchange followed Yakovenko’s October 23 comments prioritizing major applications such as Phantom, Pump.fun, Jupiter and Kamino when discussing which users Solana developers should optimize the network for.
Solana scaling debate continues as BULK explains its trading model
BULK’s latest position differs from how its founders described the project at the beginning of 2026. During a January 22 interview on Solana’s Lightspeed podcast, kdot and co-founder Jun Bug discussed building a high-performance perpetual futures exchange on Solana, including the network’s latency and reliability limitations.
The project now describes itself as a specialized trading L1, with execution and risk management handled through its own infrastructure.
Another participant in the October 29 discussion, known as defido, questioned whether BULK’s proposal represented full multichain trading or simply the addition of more deposit options.
Kdot rejected that interpretation, arguing that the clearing system was central to the proposal. He maintained that traders increasingly cared about access and execution quality without needing to move through several blockchain networks before reaching their preferred trading platform.
