{"id":5655,"date":"2026-01-15T09:48:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T09:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655"},"modified":"2026-01-15T09:48:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T09:48:34","slug":"solanas-public-attack-on-starknet-exposes-how-billions-in-mercenary-volume-are-artificially-pumping-network-valuations-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655","title":{"rendered":"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in &#8220;mercenary&#8221; volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Solana&#8217;s verified X account fired a shot on Jan. 14: \u201cStarknet has 8 daily active users, 10 daily transactions, and still somehow has a 1b MC and 15b FDV[\u2026] Send it straight to 0.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The data used in the \u2018sh*tpost&#8217; appears to trace back to an April 2024 snapshot, as the FDV figure was wrong. Current <em>CryptoSlate<\/em> data shows Starknet&#8217;s fully diluted valuation around $900 million, not $15 billion.<\/p>\n<p>While overshooting the valuation is one thing, the fact that Solana&#8217;s official account called for users to \u201csend [Starknet] straight to 0\u201d really highlights where the industry is in 2026. A project that is looking for serious institutional money to move on chain is actively calling for the downfall of a competitor chain (albeit through an \u2018intern&#8217; controlled social media account).<\/p>\n<p>Still, the broader question holds: how do you measure the gap between what a network is worth and what it actually does?<\/p>\n<p>Valuation isn&#8217;t usage, but some networks price like they have both.<\/p>\n<p>The real challenge lies in separating what&#8217;s easy to inflate, such as notional perpetual futures volume and address activity, from what&#8217;s harder to fake: fee pressure measured through REV (Real Economic Value), which combines chain fees and MEV tips that users actually pay for execution priority.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cs-article-embed\">\n<div class=\"cs-article-embed__media\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-institutions-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"Solana is becoming settlement rail for Visa and JPMorgan but one metric still scares insiders\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazyload\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-institutions-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"Solana is becoming settlement rail for Visa and JPMorgan but one metric still scares insiders\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"cs-article-embed__body\"> <span class=\"cs-article-embed__related-reading\">Related Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"cs-article-embed__title\">Solana is becoming settlement rail for Visa and JPMorgan but one metric still scares insiders<\/h3>\n<p class=\"cs-article-embed__summary\">Wyoming\u2019s Frontier launch plus a Wall Street wrapper filing happened fast, and the real institutional bet is on settlement rails.<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"cs-article-embed__meta-item\">Jan 8, 2026<\/span> <span class=\"cs-article-embed__meta-divider\">\u00b7<\/span> <span class=\"cs-article-embed__meta-item\">Gino Matos<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2>The metric stack that matters<\/h2>\n<p>Market cap is divided by circulating supply, while FDV is divided by total supply.<\/p>\n<p>Activity metrics are split into spot DEX volume measuring on-chain swaps and perpetual futures volume, which DefiLlama defines as notional traded volume, including leverage.<\/p>\n<p>A trader opening a $100,000 position with a $10,000 margin counts the full $100,000 toward volume, making perp numbers large by design and vulnerable to inflation through zero-fee trading or points programs that reward activity regardless of genuine demand.<\/p>\n<p>REV cuts through this noise by measuring what users actually pay to use a chain.<\/p>\n<p>DefiLlama defines it as chain fees plus MEV tips. High volume with low REV reveals notional churn driven by incentives rather than organic economic activity.<\/p>\n<p>Using mid-January 2026 data, we pulled 30-day spot DEX volume and 30-day perp volume for the top 50 blockchain infrastructures ranked by market cap on CoinGecko.<\/p>\n<p>Solana shows $121.8 billion in spot and $32.4 billion in perps, totaling $154.2 billion in combined trading activity against an FDV of $90.7 billion for a ratio of 0.59.<\/p>\n<p>The network&#8217;s speculative value sits around half of one month&#8217;s trading activity, and its volume is distributed across dozens of DEXs, including Jupiter, Raydium, and Orca, while posting daily REV consistently above $1 million, with millions of active addresses processing millions of transactions.<\/p>\n<p>Arbitrum shows $15 billion in spot and $37.8 billion in perps, totaling $52.8 billion against an FDV of $2.2 billion for a ratio of 0.04.<\/p>\n<p>That looks compelling until you check concentration: Variational, a single perpetual exchange, accounts for $24.9 billion of that perp volume, representing roughly 66% of the chain&#8217;s perpetual trading.<\/p>\n<p>Variational launched a points program on Dec. 17, with documentation stating that the VAR token isn&#8217;t live yet and that approximately 50% of the supply is earmarked for community distribution.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s textbook \u201cmercenary volume,\u201d where traders stack points ahead of a token launch and may reassess once rewards end, meaning Arbitrum&#8217;s monthly volume could drop by $20 billion if Variational&#8217;s activity normalizes post-airdrop. However, its spot DEX volume and $3 billion TVL would remain intact.<\/p>\n<p>Starknet tells an even sharper story with $208 million in spot but $36.4 billion in perps, totaling $36.6 billion against an FDV of $900 million for a ratio of 0.025.<\/p>\n<p>Extended, a single perpetual exchange, accounts for essentially all of Starknet&#8217;s perp volume in near-total dominance while running an ongoing points program launched in April 2025 with weekly distributions, referral incentives, and fee discounts tied to volume.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\" style=\"margin: 8px 0; clear: both;\">\n<div class=\"placement desktop us-deny-hide hidden\" style=\"max-height: 107px\">  <img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1456\" height=\"180\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; width: 728px; max-height: 90px; max-width: 100%; margin: auto; height: 90px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bc_game168_Sposorship_1456x180.gif\" alt=\"BC Game\"\/><img class=\"lazyload\" width=\"1456\" height=\"180\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; width: 728px; max-height: 90px; max-width: 100%; margin: auto; height: 90px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bc_game168_Sposorship_1456x180.gif\" alt=\"BC Game\"\/> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The real signal comes from Starknet&#8217;s 30-day chain fees sitting around $186,293 according to DefiLlama, a tiny figure relative to $36.4 billion in monthly notional perp volume that reveals high notional activity without corresponding fee pressure driven by incentives rather than genuine economic demand.<\/p>\n<p>Optimism shows $8.2 billion in spot and $6.5 billion in perps, totaling $14.7 billion, against an FDV of $8 billion, for a ratio of 0.54, with volume distributed across multiple venues rather than concentrated in single incentivized protocols.<\/p>\n<p>Both Optimism and Arbitrum post meaningful daily REV typically above $500,000 and often exceeding $1 million during high-activity periods, demonstrating that users pay for blockspace and execution priority beyond just farming points.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_514781\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-514781\" style=\"width: 1569px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-514781 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_7C8la9O4SS.jpg\" alt=\"Spot vs perps by chain\" width=\"1569\" height=\"939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_7C8la9O4SS.jpg 1569w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_7C8la9O4SS-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_7C8la9O4SS-1024x613.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_7C8la9O4SS-768x460.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_7C8la9O4SS-1536x919.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1569px) 100vw, 1569px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-514781\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Solana leads in 30-day trading volume at $154.2 billion, while Starknet&#8217;s activity is almost entirely perpetual futures at $36.6 billion total.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Avalanche shows $4.1 billion in spot with minimal perps against an FDV of $12 billion for a ratio around 3x. In comparison, Polkadot shows a combined market cap of under $1 billion against an FDV of around $10 billion, for a ratio above 10x.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Algorand carries an FDV near $8 billion, with minimal activity, resulting in ratios in the double digits, as networks are priced for ecosystems that haven&#8217;t scaled or have seen usage migrate elsewhere.<\/p>\n<h2>Low ratios signal durability questions, not guarantees<\/h2>\n<p>A low FDV-to-volume ratio doesn&#8217;t automatically signal undervaluation or buying opportunity but rather poses a durability question: either valuation rises because volume proves sticky and monetizable, or volume mean-reverts when incentives fade and mercenary capital moves on.<\/p>\n<p>The answer depends on whether the activity is organic or incentive-driven and whether it&#8217;s concentrated or distributed across multiple venues and use cases.<\/p>\n<p>Arbitrum&#8217;s 0.04 ratio changes fundamentally if over 60% of its perp volume tied to a pre-token points program disappears after Variational&#8217;s airdrop. However, this wouldn&#8217;t necessarily damage its broader ecosystem, given substantial spot DEX volume and TVL exceeding $3 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Starknet&#8217;s 0.025 ratio faces an even sharper test given Extended&#8217;s complete dominance and explicit farming incentives with weekly distributions.<\/p>\n<p>Whether volume persists after the points season ends will determine if the ratio reflects genuine opportunity or a temporary distortion that collapses when incentives stop flowing, especially given its market cap of around $454 million with only 50.43% of supply unlocked.<\/p>\n<p>Solana&#8217;s 0.59 ratio sits higher but reflects volume distributed across dozens of venues, with daily REV consistently exceeding that of most layer-2 blockchains, indicating sustained organic demand across multiple product categories rather than dependence on any single incentivized protocol.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_514780\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-514780\" style=\"width: 1570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-514780 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1.jpg\" alt=\"Valuation vs trading demand\" width=\"1570\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1.jpg 1570w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-1024x613.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-768x460.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-1536x920.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-514780 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1.jpg\" alt=\"Valuation vs trading demand\" width=\"1570\" height=\"940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1.jpg 1570w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-1024x613.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-768x460.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_dWsRlQI0CZ-1-1536x920.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-514780\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Networks with low FDV-to-volume ratios like Starknet and Arbitrum show high trading activity relative to valuation, while Solana tracks closer to 1x.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>REV provides the clearest signal for separating real demand from churn. If a chain posts $50 billion in monthly perp volume but collects $10,000 in daily fees, the volume drives point accumulation rather than economic demand. In contrast, networks that monetize throughput show it in fee data that scales with activity levels.<\/p>\n<p>Concentration serves as a key forward indicator because when more than 50% of a chain&#8217;s volume ties to a single venue, that&#8217;s a single protocol&#8217;s cycle rather than broad ecosystem adoption.<\/p>\n<p>When that protocol&#8217;s incentives end, or users migrate to better execution elsewhere, volume metrics compress rapidly. Points programs create short-term surges that distort metrics for months until the real test arrives after the token launch, when farmers reassess execution quality and fee structure without additional incentives.<\/p>\n<p>Solana shows healthier patterns with volume distributed across major DEXs and perp activity split between multiple venues, suggesting genuine product-market fit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_514782\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-514782\" style=\"width: 1482px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-514782 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP.jpg\" alt=\"REV vs Trading volume\" width=\"1482\" height=\"941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP.jpg 1482w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP-1024x650.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP-768x488.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1482px) 100vw, 1482px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-514782 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP.jpg\" alt=\"REV vs Trading volume\" width=\"1482\" height=\"941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP.jpg 1482w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP-1024x650.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Photos_2HHJ3KY8VP-768x488.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1482px) 100vw, 1482px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-514782\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starknet generates roughly $250,000 in monthly REV against $36.6 billion in trading volume, while Solana produces over $30 million in REV.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cosmos (ATOM) presents a structural edge case with FDV near $4 billion, but ecosystem activity is happening on app-chains like Osmosis and dYdX rather than the hub itself.<\/p>\n<p>This means that low DEX and perp volume don&#8217;t capture actual utility centered on interchain communication and shared security infrastructure, where token value derives from coordination rather than direct trading throughput.<\/p>\n<p>Solana&#8217;s tweet was theater with demonstrably wrong numbers, but the question it raised about when valuation reflects what networks do versus what they might do remains worth examining systematically.<\/p>\n<p>DEX volume, perp volume, REV, and venue concentration provide quantifiable signals that separate networks priced for current traffic from those priced for traffic they&#8217;re waiting on or for traffic that might disappear entirely when points stop flowing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-bottom\">\n<div class=\"post-mentions\"> <span class=\"heading\">Mentioned in this article<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Community,DeFi,Featured,Tokens#Solanas #public #attack #Starknet #exposes #billions #mercenary #volume #artificially #pumping #network #valuations1768470514<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Solana&#8217;s verified X account fired a shot on Jan. 14: \u201cStarknet has 8 daily active users, 10 daily transactions, and still somehow has a 1b MC and 15b FDV[\u2026] Send it straight to 0.\u201d The data used in the \u2018sh*tpost&#8217; appears to trace back to an April 2024 snapshot, as the FDV figure was wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1283,1280,837,619,1282,605,1279,1284,1278,1281,1285,734],"class_list":{"0":"post-5655","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ethereum","8":"tag-artificially","9":"tag-attack","10":"tag-billions","11":"tag-exposes","12":"tag-mercenary","13":"tag-network","14":"tag-public","15":"tag-pumping","16":"tag-solanas","17":"tag-starknet","18":"tag-valuations","19":"tag-volume"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in &quot;mercenary&quot; volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Extended dominates Starknet perps, and the fee pressure doesn\u2019t match the \u201cactivity,\u201d hinting at mercenary volume.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in &quot;mercenary&quot; volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Extended dominates Starknet perps, and the fee pressure doesn\u2019t match the \u201cactivity,\u201d hinting at mercenary volume.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-15T09:48:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u884c\u653f\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u884c\u653f\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655\",\"name\":\"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in \\\"mercenary\\\" volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-15T09:48:34+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf\"},\"description\":\"Extended dominates Starknet perps, and the fee pressure doesn\u2019t match the \u201cactivity,\u201d hinting at mercenary volume.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in &#8220;mercenary&#8221; volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/\",\"name\":\"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\",\"description\":\"Latest Crypto &amp; Bitcoin News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf\",\"name\":\"\u884c\u653f\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"\u884c\u653f\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/demo3.aiwalls.com\/coinbase\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in \"mercenary\" volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","description":"Extended dominates Starknet perps, and the fee pressure doesn\u2019t match the \u201cactivity,\u201d hinting at mercenary volume.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in \"mercenary\" volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now","og_description":"Extended dominates Starknet perps, and the fee pressure doesn\u2019t match the \u201cactivity,\u201d hinting at mercenary volume.","og_url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655","og_site_name":"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","article_published_time":"2026-01-15T09:48:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"\u884c\u653f","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"\u884c\u653f","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655","url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655","name":"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in \"mercenary\" volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-15T09:48:34+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf"},"description":"Extended dominates Starknet perps, and the fee pressure doesn\u2019t match the \u201cactivity,\u201d hinting at mercenary volume.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solana-starknet-inflation.jpg","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=5655#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Solana\u2019s public attack on Starknet exposes how billions in &#8220;mercenary&#8221; volume are artificially pumping network valuations right now"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/","name":"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis","description":"Latest Crypto &amp; Bitcoin News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf","name":"\u884c\u653f","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e4c2d23409b09e004cef3facbe677e95c5401f9e29680f3a311e0130c5748089?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"\u884c\u653f"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/demo3.aiwalls.com\/coinbase"],"url":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}