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Howdy!

Is it just me, or do LED Christmas lights feel like being stabbed directly in the eyes? Anyone who grew up on old school incandescents knows what I’m talking about — white lights glowing softly through colored glass; cozy, glorious diffusion. LEDs, on the other hand, blast single, narrow wavelengths of light directly at your retina like a laser pointer from the depths of holiday hell. I swear there’s a conspiracy here, and I’m one string board away from proving it.

Anyway, while I work on that, let’s take a look at Solana’s wildest holiday memecoins this year.

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Happy Solanukkah!

What better way to celebrate the season than by diving into the holly-jolly madness of holiday memecoins? 

Pump.fun has been brimming with festive chaos as degens deck the chain with memes and mayhem, so we thought we’d take a moment to unwrap a few of the highlights.

First up, the Santas. Purple is the color of the moment, and Santa is apparently taking it in stride. Santa Paws (yes, a cat) appears to be attempting to claw its way to a comeback, while Santa Is Real and Santa Isn’t Real duke it out for festive dominance. Santa wif Hat, meanwhile, is rocking an alarming variety of headgear, from classic red to…let’s just call it “experimental.” And what’s this? Could it be a brigade of naked Santa variants storming the chain, ranging from cheeky to full-on yuletide nightmare fuel? Aw thanks, frens…you really shouldn’t have.

New holidays are making their debuts too. Ever heard of Rizzmas? Hawktuahnukkah? Chrismahanukwanzaka? Me neither, and yet here we are. Degens have made their wish lists loud and clear with aspirational coins like “All I Want for Xmas is (1000X)” and “AllIWANTforXmasIsAMillionBucks.” Ho ho hodl.

Oh, and the snowmen…my goodness, the snowmen. They’ve outdone themselves. Frosty the Dough Man — because nothing says “the season of giving” like hoarding bags of cash — is joined by the very swol Abdominal Snowman (you read that right), an alarmingly handsome-Squidward-esque Mewing Snowman, and the ever popular extra thicc Gyatt Snowman, among many, many others.

It only gets weirder. There are memecoins featuring homicidal Christmas trees, an unfortunate P. Diddy made of gingerbread, Biden and Trump (both dressed as Santa) kissing under the mistletoe, and a truly inexplicable Jesus made of shrimp (called Shresus, obviously).

And then there’s the Grinch. Solana devs can’t get enough of Dr. Seuss’ iconic green grouch. Grinch Mona Lisa? Check. Super Saiyan Grinch? Why not? Grinch Hawktuah? Sure. If it’s a meme, it’s minting. Finally, if the cold weather is keeping you from touching grass, don’t worry — you can always Touch Snow.

From all of us at Lightspeed: Happy holidays, Solana fam!

— Jeff Albus

Brought to you by:

Renaud Partners is the premier go-to-market consulting firm for early-stage Solana teams.

We’ve been deeply involved in the community since 2021, supporting some of the best known projects in the ecosystem. We help teams with their go-to-market, brand positioning, social and PR, and fundraising strategy, and we also work across other ecosystems including Monad, Base and TON.

If you're a team looking to expedite your marketing success, let’s talk: [email protected] or @rockin_renaud on telegram.

No holiday cheer for Solana ETFs

The SEC recently gifted the crypto world its first approval for a combined bitcoin and ETH ETF, and the people rejoiced.

Yet Solana enthusiasts may have to wait a bit longer for their turn under the tree. 

While these approvals signal progress, Solana’s path to ETF inclusion is still wrapped in regulatory uncertainty and the SEC’s cautious stance on newer assets. 

Analysts predict Solana’s moment could arrive sometime in 2025, as its ecosystem matures and institutional interest grows. 

Bloomberg Intelligence's James Seyffart recently explained: “Most people are expecting [new SEC leadership] to do some sort of clear rule-making. […] I think a lot of issuers are hoping to get these things out the door as quickly as possible and get the ball rolling.” 

However, Seyffart cautioned that “[t]here’s no guarantee that these filings that we’re seeing right now are going to start the ball.”

For now, Solana investors are left watching patiently from the sidelines.

— Jeff Albus

Brought to you by:

Renaud Partners is the premier go-to-market consulting firm for early-stage Solana teams.

We’ve been deeply involved in the community since 2021, supporting some of the best known projects in the ecosystem. We help teams with their go-to-market, brand positioning, social and PR, and fundraising strategy, and we also work across other ecosystems including Monad, Base and TON.

If you're a team looking to expedite your marketing success, let’s talk: [email protected] or @rockin_renaud on telegram.