ORE surpasses 3 million SOL deployed for mining since V3 launch

ORE, the Solana-native mining protocol built by pseudonymous developer HardhatChad, has now attracted more than 3 million SOL deployed for mining activities.

For a project that literally broke the Solana network during its first version in early 2024, the trajectory from network menace to serious DeFi primitive has been remarkably fast.

How ORE’s grid mining actually works

ORE V3 operates on a 5×5 grid system where participants place their SOL stakes strategically across positions. Players deploy SOL into grid positions, and winners collect portions of the losing stakes along with freshly minted ORE token rewards. The protocol takes a 10% fee on these transactions.

The road from V1 to V3

The original version launched in early 2024 with a proof-of-work model that caused notable congestion on the Solana network.

Version 2 arrived on October 22, 2025, marking the pivot from proof-of-work to the grid-based mining model. That transition resulted in a surge in protocol revenue, with peak daily earnings hitting hundreds of thousands of dollars.

V3 followed as a refinement of the V2 economics, introducing buyback mechanisms designed to support token value over time and deliver more stable reward payouts.

The protocol maintains a capped supply model for the ORE token, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s 21 million cap. Linear issuance characterized the earliest designs. The fair-launch approach, with no pre-allocations, mirrors Bitcoin’s ethos of equal access.

Why 3 million SOL matters

The revenue figures reinforce engagement levels. Hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing through the protocol daily means active, engaged participants. The 10% protocol fee on winning transactions creates a sustainable revenue stream for the project itself.

The buyback mechanism introduced in V3 uses protocol revenue to purchase ORE tokens from the open market, creating structural buying pressure that could support token valuations during periods of broader market weakness.

A grid-based system where winners take from losers has inherent zero-sum dynamics. The 10% protocol fee means the aggregate pool of participant capital shrinks over time, requiring a constant inflow of new capital and new players to sustain reward levels.