In the fast-paced world of crypto, where new projects pop up daily, it's rare to see one that genuinely challenges the status quo. But that's exactly what Matty Tay, co-founder of Colosseum and former Solana team member, is highlighting in his recent X thread. He draws parallels between Bitcoin, Zcash, and the emerging Ore token on Solana, arguing that Ore might just have the structural edges needed to become a viable non-sovereign store of value (SoV) asset.

Let's break it down. Back in crypto's early days, countless Bitcoin forks—like Litecoin—tried to tweak parameters to "improve" BTC. Think faster block times or different mining algorithms. But none really took off as serious SoV contenders. Why? Matty points out they lacked true structural advantages over Bitcoin. They were basically copycats without a killer feature.

Enter Zcash. This privacy-focused coin integrated shielding directly into its layer-1 protocol, giving it a real edge over Bitcoin's transparent transactions. Whether privacy is better handled at higher layers is up for debate, but Matty sees this as a legitimate differentiator.

Now, fast forward to Ore. Built on Solana by developer Hardhat Chad, Ore is a proof-of-work (PoW) minable token that's designed for fair distribution. Unlike traditional mining that favors big rigs, Ore's algorithm is memory-hard, making it accessible via laptops or even phones. It has a fixed supply of 21 million tokens, emitted at 1 ORE per minute, mirroring Bitcoin's scarcity model. But here's where it gets interesting: Ore generates yield for long-term holders through staking multipliers, and it's natively built on Solana.

Being native means Ore inherits all of Solana's perks—blazing-fast performance, upcoming privacy layers, and seamless DeFi composability. As Matty notes, Ore isn't its own layer-1 blockchain, so it doesn't have to worry about networking, execution, or consensus upgrades. That's all handled by Solana. This setup could embed Ore deeply into Solana's ecosystem, unlike wrapped assets that often face friction and fragmentation.

For those new to Ore, it's not your typical meme token, but it has that community-driven vibe with a hardhat theme—think miners in yellow helmets grinding away. Launched in 2024, it caused a stir by congesting Solana's network due to mining hype, but by 2025, it's seen massive price surges, with over 110% gains in a day and a market cap hitting $50 million, according to CoinGecko. Trading volumes are up, and it's available on DEXes like Orca.

Matty's thread emphasizes that while Bitcoin will remain the king—getting more embedded in traditional finance—it's not the only game in town. Ore's experimental nature is risky, but its advantages could strengthen Solana's DeFi scene by providing a native SoV asset at its core.

Replies to the thread echo this excitement. One user calls it "crazy times" for $ORE, while another praises the write-up and is bullish on the Hard Hat Community (HHC) and team for delivering product-market fit. The growth loop—increasing demand feeding more growth—seems sustainable.

If you're a blockchain practitioner eyeing meme tokens with real utility, Ore is worth watching. It blends PoW nostalgia with Solana's modern tech, potentially opening doors for more inclusive crypto participation. Check out the full thread on X for the video clip and dive deeper into Ore's official docs or mining guides.

As meme tokens evolve beyond jokes into functional assets, projects like Ore show how Solana is pushing boundaries. Stay tuned— this could be the start of something big.