Sushi Crosses the Bridge to Solana
SushiSwap, one of the longest-running decentralized exchanges in crypto, officially launched on the Solana network on February 9, 2026. The expansion brings Sushi's full swap and cross-chain trading interface to Solana's high-speed, low-fee environment, powered by an integration with Jupiter's Ultra API for routing and execution.
The move gives Sushi's user base of over 4 million traders direct access to Solana-native tokens, meme coins, tokenized stocks, and real-world assets (RWAs) without leaving the Sushi interface. Token swaps and cross-chain swaps went live immediately at launch.
"Solana has established itself as one of the most important ecosystems for trading crypto," said Alex McCurry, CEO of Sushi. The expansion, he added, positions Sushi as "the ultimate multichain trading experience."
Why Solana, Why Now
Sushi has operated across EVM-compatible chains for years, but Solana represents a fundamentally different architecture. It is not an Ethereum Layer 2 or a fork. It is a standalone, high-throughput chain that has carved out its own DeFi and trading ecosystem.
The timing is strategic. Solana's on-chain activity has been hitting record daily transaction counts despite broader market turbulence. SOL itself was trading below $100 at the time of the announcement amid a wider crypto pullback, but the network's usage metrics tell a different story: developers are building, traders are active, and liquidity continues to flow.
For Sushi, the Solana launch is also a competitive play. Jupiter already dominates Solana DEX aggregation with its deep routing infrastructure. Rather than competing head-to-head, Sushi partnered with Jupiter by integrating the Ultra API directly. This gives Sushi access to Jupiter's liquidity graph and price optimization engine while Jupiter gains another frontend driving volume through its backend.
How the Jupiter Integration Works
The technical backbone of Sushi on Solana is Jupiter's Ultra API, which handles routing, execution, and price discovery. When a user initiates a swap on Sushi's Solana interface, the order is routed through Jupiter's aggregation layer, which scans liquidity across Solana's DEX ecosystem to find the best execution path.
This is a different model from how Sushi operates on EVM chains, where it relies on its own smart contracts and liquidity pools. On Solana, Sushi is effectively an interface layer on top of Jupiter's infrastructure, at least for now. The initial launch focuses on token swaps and cross-chain trading, with additional native Sushi features expected to roll out in later phases.
Cross-chain swaps are the standout feature. Users can move assets between Solana and Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and other EVM chains directly through the Sushi interface. This eliminates the need for separate bridge protocols and creates a one-click experience for traders who operate across ecosystems.
The integration also opens Sushi to a new class of assets. Solana's ecosystem includes a significant volume of meme tokens, tokenized stocks via platforms like Parcl and Clone, and an expanding set of RWAs. Sushi's existing users on EVM chains can now access these assets through cross-chain swaps without setting up Solana-native wallets or using unfamiliar interfaces.
What This Means for Solana Traders
For traders already active on Solana, Sushi's arrival adds another aggregation option alongside Jupiter's native frontend, Raydium, Orca, and other Solana DEXs. The practical benefit is competition: more frontends competing for users typically means better execution, lower fees, and more innovation.
Sushi also brings a brand and user base that has been in DeFi since 2020. Its 4 million users represent potential new liquidity flowing into Solana's trading pools. If even a fraction of Sushi's EVM user base starts using cross-chain swaps to access Solana tokens, the volume impact could be meaningful.
For users of Solana-based crypto cards and wallets, the expansion has practical implications too. More DEX options on Solana means more efficient token conversion before spending, which can reduce slippage when topping up card balances with SOL-ecosystem tokens.
The Multi-Chain DEX Landscape Gets Crowded
Sushi's Solana launch is part of a broader trend: established EVM protocols expanding to non-EVM chains rather than staying in their lane. Uniswap has been exploring similar moves. Aave has expanded governance discussions to include non-EVM deployments. The walls between blockchain ecosystems are getting thinner.
This trend matters for the broader crypto spending and wallet ecosystem. As DEX liquidity becomes more cross-chain by default, the friction of holding assets on one chain and needing to spend them on another decreases. Crypto card providers that support multi-chain top-ups benefit directly from this infrastructure evolution, as users can convert and spend from whichever chain offers the best rates.
Sushi's "franchise model" is also worth watching. The protocol has incubated Wara on Solana and Saru on Aptos as chain-specific DEXs that share routing with the main Sushi hub. The Solana launch suggests Sushi may be consolidating these franchises under one unified interface rather than operating them as separate brands.
Analysts are watching transaction throughput and fee metrics closely. If Sushi can bring meaningful EVM volume to Solana through cross-chain swaps, it validates the thesis that multi-chain aggregation is more valuable than chain-specific optimization.
FAQ
Can I swap between Solana and Ethereum tokens on SushiSwap now? Yes. Cross-chain swaps between Solana and EVM chains (Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, and others) are live on Sushi's interface as of February 9, 2026.
Does SushiSwap on Solana use its own liquidity pools? Not initially. The Solana launch is powered by Jupiter's Ultra API, which routes trades through existing Solana DEX liquidity. Sushi may introduce native Solana liquidity pools in later phases.
Do I need a Solana wallet to use SushiSwap on Solana? For direct Solana token swaps, yes. For cross-chain swaps originating from an EVM chain, you can initiate the swap from your existing Ethereum or L2 wallet.
How does this affect SUSHI token holders? The Solana expansion increases the potential volume flowing through Sushi's platform, which could impact protocol revenue. Specific fee-sharing mechanics for the Solana deployment have not been detailed yet.
Overview
SushiSwap's launch on Solana marks a significant expansion for one of DeFi's oldest protocols. By integrating Jupiter's Ultra API rather than building native liquidity infrastructure from scratch, Sushi gets immediate access to Solana's deep trading ecosystem while offering its 4 million users cross-chain swap capabilities between Solana and EVM chains. The move intensifies competition in the multi-chain DEX space and signals that the era of chain-specific DeFi is giving way to unified, cross-ecosystem trading interfaces. For Solana users, it means more options. For EVM users, it means easier access to Solana's expanding asset universe.
Recommended Reading
- MegaETH Mainnet Goes Live February 9 as Ecosystem Apps Deploy Ahead of Launch
- Solana Co-Founder Toly Calls for a Return to Self-Custody and Trustless Software as Crypto's North Star
- Chainlink SVR Claims 99% OEV Market Share as Atlas Acquisition Brings MEV Recapture to Five Chains
Sources
- Sushi Expands to Solana, Bringing Advanced DeFi Tools to a High-Performance Ecosystem
- SushiSwap Integrates with Solana Blockchain to Enable Cross-Chain Swaps Between Solana and EVM
- SushiSwap on X: Official Solana Launch Announcement
- Solana on X: SushiSwap Launch Confirmation
- Jupiter Exchange on X: Powering Solana Trading on Sushi
