Jito

Jito (JTO) is the governance token of the Jito Network, one of the most significant contributors to the Solana ecosystem. Jito is best known for its JitoSOL liquid staking token and for a suite of products that manage maximal extractable value (MEV) on Solana. JTO holders steer the direction of the protocol through governance. The token ranks around 124th by market capitalization.

What is Jito?

Jito addresses two important pieces of Solana infrastructure: liquid staking and MEV. Through JitoSOL, users can stake their SOL and receive a liquid token that keeps earning staking yield while remaining usable across DeFi. Separately, the Jito Foundation works to reduce the harmful effects of MEV, distribute its profits more fairly, and increase transparency in how it is captured. JTO is the governance layer that oversees these efforts.

How does Jito work?

When users swap SOL for JitoSOL, they keep exposure to SOL's price and DeFi opportunities while earning staking rewards, plus additional rewards derived from MEV extraction on Solana. MEV refers to profit that comes from the specific ordering of transactions in a block, for example arbitraging a price gap between decentralized exchanges like Orca and Raydium after a large swap. Jito published an open-source validator client that runs auctions within each block: traders submit bids, and the highest bidders win the right to capture that block's MEV. This turns a murky practice into a more competitive, transparent market and channels some of the proceeds back to JitoSOL holders.

Jito tokenomics and supply

JTO has a total supply of 1,000,000,000 tokens, with roughly 491 million currently circulating. As more of the supply unlocks over time, holders should be mindful of potential dilution. JTO's primary function is governance rather than fee capture, meaning it grants voting power over protocol parameters and treasury decisions. The token has traded from an all-time low near $0.22 to an all-time high around $6.01.

What is Jito used for?

• Voting on Jito Network governance proposals and protocol parameters
• Governing the JitoSOL liquid staking product and MEV infrastructure
• Coordinating the community around fair, transparent MEV distribution on Solana

It is worth distinguishing JTO, the governance token, from JitoSOL, the yield-bearing liquid staking token; they serve different purposes within the same ecosystem.

Where to buy Jito

JTO is available on many major centralized exchanges and on Solana decentralized exchanges. Compare trading fees and liquidity using our best crypto exchanges ranking, and to hold JTO or interact with JitoSOL, use a Solana-compatible option from our best crypto wallets guide.

Is Jito a good investment?

Jito's fortunes are closely tied to Solana's overall health and to the growth of liquid staking and MEV activity on that chain. Governance tokens do not automatically capture protocol revenue, and future token unlocks could add selling pressure. The token has been volatile and market sentiment can shift quickly. This is not financial advice; weigh Solana-specific risks and your own tolerance before considering JTO.