Latest THORChain (RUNE) News Update

By CMC AI
19 February 2026 11:26AM (UTC+0)

What are people saying about RUNE?

TLDR

The RUNE community is building through the bear market, balancing technical confidence with cautious optimism. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. A major Solana integration is seen as a fundamental expansion for cross-chain liquidity.

  2. The protocol's shift to a deflationary model via fee burns is a core bullish narrative.

  3. Traders are citing historical cycles to predict a massive breakout from current lows.

  4. Node operators highlight a mission-driven culture despite declining yields.

Deep Dive

1. @Jatinkkalra: Solana Integration as a Liquidity Bridge bullish

"By integrating $SOL, THORChain becomes the primary 'liquidity bridge' for millions of users looking to rotate their gains directly into the safety of Native Bitcoin... Coming this February!" – @Jatinkkalra (2.2K followers · 25 January 2026 16:33 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for RUNE because integrating a high-throughput chain like Solana could dramatically increase swap volume and user base, directly boosting protocol fee revenue and the deflationary burn mechanism.

2. @THORChain: Deflationary Shift via Protocol Fee Burns bullish

"$RUNE is now deflationary. @THORChain no longer issues block rewards. Protocol fees are used to burn $RUNE. More RUNE is removed from supply than created." – @THORChain (287K followers · 7 August 2025 18:36 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for RUNE as it creates a direct, positive feedback loop: increased network usage leads to more fees, which accelerates the burn, reducing supply and applying upward pressure on price if demand holds.

3. @Criptoprime0: Predicting a Massive Breakout from Cycle Lows bullish

"RUNE is going to be a massive runner bigger than it has been previously... Binance Futures $RUNE/ $USDT Take-Profit target 3 ✅ Profit: 68.2171%" – @Criptoprime0 (2.2K followers · 15 January 2026 09:59 UTC) View original post What this means: This is bullish for RUNE as it reflects a strong trader conviction based on historical performance, suggesting accumulation at perceived cycle lows could precede significant upside volatility.

4. @THORChain: Node Operator Commitment Amidst Yield Reductions mixed

The community spotlight details an operator who "prioritized decentralization over personal profit," shedding over 3.5M RUNE in bond positions to onboard new node operators, despite facing "multiple yield reductions." – @THORChain (287K followers · 6 August 2025 20:12 UTC) View original post What this means: This is mixed for RUNE; it's bullish for long-term network security and decentralization, but bearish in the short term as declining yields could pressure validator participation and selling.

Conclusion

The consensus on RUNE is cautiously bullish, rooted in strong tokenomics and upcoming network expansions rather than short-term price action. Conversations emphasize its foundational role in cross-chain liquidity and a deflationary supply shock, even as the price languishes near multi-year lows. Watch for the impact of the Solana integration on swap volume and fee burns post-launch.

What is the latest news on RUNE?

TLDR

THORChain is building through a bear market, with key integrations and upgrades setting the stage for future growth. Here are the latest news:

  1. Solana Integration Announced (25 January 2026) – THORChain to become a primary liquidity bridge for Solana users seeking native Bitcoin.

  2. Binance Supports Network Upgrade (21 January 2026) – Major exchange temporarily suspends RUNE deposits for a protocol enhancement.

  3. Rujira Expands DeFi Capabilities (15 January 2026) – App Layer development enables native swaps, perpetuals, and lending on THORChain.

Deep Dive

1. Solana Integration Announced (25 January 2026)

Overview: An official announcement confirmed that Solana ($SOL) integration is scheduled for February 2026. This move aims to connect Solana's massive retail and memecoin user base directly with THORChain's liquidity, allowing them to swap gains for native Bitcoin seamlessly. What this means: This is bullish for RUNE because it significantly expands the protocol's addressable market and utility. Integrating a top-tier chain like Solana could drive substantial swap volume, increasing fee revenue for liquidity providers and node operators. (Jatin Kalra)

2. Binance Supports Network Upgrade (21 January 2026)

Overview: Binance announced a temporary suspension of THORChain (RUNE) deposits and withdrawals starting January 22, 2026, to facilitate a scheduled network upgrade aimed at enhancing user experience and platform reliability. What this means: This is a neutral-to-positive operational update. While causing short-term inconvenience, it reflects ongoing protocol development and maintenance. Major exchange support for upgrades underscores THORChain's institutional credibility and commitment to network stability. (CoinMarketCap)

3. Rujira Expands DeFi Capabilities (15 January 2026)

Overview: Development continues on Rujira, THORChain's embedded App Layer. Recent community discussions highlighted its roadmap to enable sophisticated DeFi functions—like native perpetuals and lending—directly on top of THORChain's cross-chain liquidity without using bridges. What this means: This is bullish for THORChain's long-term ecosystem value. By enabling composable DeFi applications, Rujira could unlock new use cases and demand for the base layer's liquidity, making the network more versatile and sticky for developers and users. (CoinMarketCap)

Conclusion

THORChain's latest news centers on strategic expansion (Solana), technical fortification (network upgrade), and ecosystem depth (Rujira), positioning it as foundational cross-chain infrastructure despite a challenging market. Will rising swap volume from new integrations outpace the broader crypto downturn?

What is the latest update in RUNE’s codebase?

TLDR

THORChain's codebase has seen two major releases focused on expanding chain support and improving developer tools.

  1. Noble Integration & App Layer Workflow (31 July 2025) – Added native USDC from Cosmos and streamlined development processes.

  2. Multi-Chain Support & Secured Assets (16 July 2025) – Laid groundwork for Solana, TRON, and tokenized liquidity positions.

Deep Dive

1. Noble Integration & App Layer Workflow (31 July 2025)

Overview: This update, V3.9.0, integrated the Noble blockchain, bringing native, fiat-backed USDC directly to THORChain. It also changed internal permissions to let App Layer developers approve and deploy their own code faster.

The integration with Noble provides a secure, bridge-free stablecoin for the Cosmos ecosystem. Key technical fixes resolved a memory leak in THORNode and ensured Solana-based vaults are properly included in network node rotations. A bug in the Nami Index smart contract was also fixed and re-audited.

What this means: This is bullish for RUNE because it makes the network more useful by adding a trusted stablecoin, which could attract more users and liquidity. It also means developers can build and update apps on THORChain much quicker, leading to more innovation. (THORChain)

2. Multi-Chain Support & Secured Assets (16 July 2025)

Overview: The V3.8.0 release introduced critical infrastructure for future chain integrations, including Solana and TRON, and created a new system for "secured assets" to represent liquidity provider (LP) positions.

Support for EdDSA digital signatures unlocked compatibility with Solana, Cardano, and TON. The new secured assets feature allows users to deposit into pools by burning a token and withdraw by minting it, forming the basis for tradable LP tokens. Other improvements let users cancel pending swaps and streamlined cross-chain deposits for Cosmos users.

What this means: This is bullish for RUNE as it sets the stage for connecting to massive new user bases on chains like Solana and TRON, which should increase swap volume and fees. The new secured assets system could eventually make providing liquidity more flexible and accessible. (THORChain)

Conclusion

THORChain's recent development is strategically focused on becoming essential cross-chain infrastructure by adding major blockchains and empowering builders. Will the upcoming integration of Solana catalyze the next significant wave of user adoption and volume?

What is next on RUNE’s roadmap?

TLDR

THORChain's development continues with these milestones:

  1. Solana Integration (February 2026) – Enabling native SOL swaps to access memecoin liquidity and rotate gains into Bitcoin.

  2. Expansion to TON, Cardano & Sui (2026) – Adding major blockchains to become a universal liquidity bridge for any token.

  3. App Layer Evolution with Rujira (Ongoing) – Building advanced DeFi like perps, lending, and a BTC-backed stablecoin on THORChain.

Deep Dive

1. Solana Integration (February 2026)

Overview: The integration of Solana is a high-priority, near-term milestone. Technical support via EdDSA signatures is already complete (THORChain), with a community announcement targeting a February 2026 rollout (Jatin Kalra). This connects THORChain to Solana's massive retail and memecoin ecosystem, positioning it as the primary liquidity bridge for users wanting to swap SOL gains directly into native Bitcoin.

What this means: This is bullish for RUNE because it directly expands the protocol's addressable market and swap volume potential. New users and capital from one of crypto's most active chains could significantly increase network fees and demand for RUNE as the settlement asset.

2. Expansion to TON, Cardano & Sui (2026)

Overview: Beyond Solana, the core roadmap includes integrating Toncoin (TON), Cardano (ADA), and Sui (SUI) (CoinMarketCap). Work is also underway to add privacy chains Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR). These are medium-term priorities aimed at making THORChain a universal liquidity layer where "any token from any self-custody wallet" can be swapped.

What this means: This is bullish for RUNE as each new chain increases the utility and total value locked (TVL) in the network. However, it's neutral in the short term as delivery timelines depend on development complexity and community governance votes, introducing execution risk.

3. App Layer Evolution with Rujira (Ongoing)

Overview: THORChain is evolving into a full Layer 1 for DeFi applications via its App Layer, primarily developed by the Rujira team. Upcoming products include leveraged perpetuals (Perps), lending, a Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, and an NFT marketplace (THORChain Blog). This transforms THORChain from a swap protocol into a comprehensive DeFi base layer.

What this means: This is bullish for RUNE because smart contracts on the App Layer generate fees, which are split 50/50 between THORChain (and thus RUNE holders) and Rujira. This creates a new, scalable revenue stream tied directly to ecosystem growth.

Conclusion

THORChain's roadmap focuses on aggressive multi-chain expansion followed by deep DeFi integration, aiming to cement its role as foundational cross-chain infrastructure. How will the successful integration of high-volume chains like Solana impact RUNE's deterministic value model?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.