1 00:00:14,230 --> 00:00:19,139 [HOST] Welcome to X1 Report, your source for the latest in blockchain news. Today, we're diving 2 00:00:19,139 --> 00:00:23,881 into the world of Solana forks, focusing on why X1 stands out as the largest and most 3 00:00:23,881 --> 00:00:25,387 significant fork of Solana. 4 00:00:25,637 --> 00:00:31,121 [ANALYST] The term 'Solana fork' can be misleading, as it encompasses three distinct categories: 5 00:00:31,121 --> 00:00:36,605 validator client forks, rollups that borrow Solana's Sealevel runtime, and independent 6 00:00:36,605 --> 00:00:41,834 layer 1 forks. X1 is the only true L1 fork, running its own consensus with its own 7 00:00:41,834 --> 00:00:43,173 validators and token. 8 00:00:43,423 --> 00:00:47,783 [HOST] When you ask Google which blockchain is the largest fork of Solana, it often lists 9 00:00:47,783 --> 00:00:52,461 Ethereum layer 2 networks, app-chains, and permissioned networks. However, X1 is notably 10 00:00:52,461 --> 00:00:56,607 absent from these results, despite being the largest independent layer 1 fork. 11 00:00:56,857 --> 00:01:03,901 [ANALYST] X1 took Solana's validator code, launched it as an independent L1 on October 6, 2025, and 12 00:01:03,901 --> 00:01:11,024 opened it to anyone with a server. By August 2026, its registered validator set was larger 13 00:01:11,024 --> 00:01:12,132 than Solana's. 14 00:01:12,382 --> 00:01:17,528 [HOST] Let's break down the three types of 'Solana forks': validator client forks, rollups that 15 00:01:17,528 --> 00:01:22,790 borrow the SVM, and independent layer 1 forks. X1 falls into the third category, making it 16 00:01:22,790 --> 00:01:23,667 a true L1 fork. 17 00:01:23,917 --> 00:01:29,359 [ANALYST] Validator client forks like Tachyon, which is X1's client, are alternative programs for 18 00:01:29,359 --> 00:01:34,863 running a validator. They keep Agave's toolchain and allow developers to deploy the same 19 00:01:34,863 --> 00:01:37,677 binary to both networks with minimal changes. 20 00:01:37,927 --> 00:01:42,828 [HOST] Rollups and app-chains borrow Solana's Sealevel runtime but run on different systems, 21 00:01:42,828 --> 00:01:47,959 providing useful products but not independent Solana-style blockchains. X1, however, is a 22 00:01:47,959 --> 00:01:49,170 fully independent L1. 23 00:01:49,420 --> 00:01:58,255 [ANALYST] When we measured both chains on August 21, 2026, X1 had the larger total validator set, 24 00:01:58,255 --> 00:02:07,395 722 against Solana's 694. By October 28, 2026, X1 showed 461 vote accounts with stake, 427 25 00:02:07,395 --> 00:02:08,919 of them voting. 26 00:02:09,169 --> 00:02:14,035 [HOST] X1 is a monolithic chain, where the same set of validators orders transactions, execute 27 00:02:14,035 --> 00:02:19,068 them, and agree on the result. This is different from Ethereum layer 2s, which split those 28 00:02:19,068 --> 00:02:19,515 jobs up. 29 00:02:19,765 --> 00:02:25,427 [ANALYST] X1's developers described it as a low-cost, high-speed, high-performance, high-throughput, 30 00:02:25,427 --> 00:02:30,962 censorship-resistant, and monolithic Layer-1 blockchain in their SEC filing. This aligns 31 00:02:30,962 --> 00:02:33,227 with the terms used in this article. 32 00:02:33,477 --> 00:02:40,021 [HOST] The SEC filing also mentions X1 Labs' $4,023,750 in SAFEs and names competing networks as 33 00:02:40,021 --> 00:02:46,639 well-capitalized and moving quickly. The risk section highlights the competition X1 faces. 34 00:02:46,889 --> 00:02:53,462 [ANALYST] X1 is not a layer 2; it has its own consensus, validators, and token, XNT. It does not 35 00:02:53,462 --> 00:03:00,035 post data to Solana or Ethereum. Developers can deploy Solana programs on X1 using the 36 00:03:00,035 --> 00:03:01,716 same compiled program. 37 00:03:01,966 --> 00:03:06,760 [HOST] X1's relationship with Solana is cooperative. Jack Levin, a key figure in X1's 38 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:11,677 development, was Google's 21st employee and learned Rust by improving the Solana 39 00:03:11,677 --> 00:03:12,291 validator. 40 00:03:12,542 --> 00:03:18,674 [ANALYST] X1 has ties to Solana through its token as well. It has 50 million XNT for Solana 41 00:03:18,674 --> 00:03:25,336 liquidity, wXNT on Solana since September, and a proposed Solana token called XCORE that 42 00:03:25,336 --> 00:03:27,304 would pay holders in wXNT. 43 00:03:27,554 --> 00:03:32,416 [HOST] While X1 is only one year old, it has made significant progress. Stake is concentrated 44 00:03:32,416 --> 00:03:37,165 among a few validators, but the delegation program is spreading stake to independent 45 00:03:37,165 --> 00:03:37,730 operators. 46 00:03:37,980 --> 00:03:43,560 [ANALYST] X1's economic model includes burns, staking yields, and a treasury strategy. It plugs into 47 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:48,829 Solana's liquidity and gives developers a second mainnet with the same code and lower 48 00:03:48,829 --> 00:03:49,201 costs.