Solana’s business development is more normie-oriented than that of any other chain. So far we’ve seen clothing stores and phones, which still look unnecessary and were even dunked on by prominent non-crypto influencers.

Still, the hype around Solana is undeniable, especially this cycle. Plus, the chain is the home of numerous meme coins. As a consequence, we’ve recently witnessed seemingly useless products suddenly becoming quite valuable.

I’m talking about the Saga phone. It’s a regular Android device with some bells and whistles. What makes it special is the amount of freebies attached to each.

When people discovered that the first batch of Saga phones had more value in meme coins than the retail price, they started hoarding the phones. Soon they were out of stock and now there are only eBay listings, some of which are truly remarkable.

The second batch of Sagas was easier to buy, but people weren’t sure about the potential benefits, so many still skipped it. That wasn’t the correct move, since each of the Sagas from the second batch got enough value in meme coins dropped to them before the actual phones were even delivered.

IQ50, MEW, and WUF were high enough at some point to pay off a Saga 2 phone.

Owners of both batches still have NFTs that act as proof of being an early supporter of the ecosystem. Naturally, they’re the first to get airdrops from new entrants to Solana.

The reason I’m telling you all this is that Solana just posted about its upcoming gaming handheld. It’s useless, but it will likely come with another NFT, which is highlighted in the post.

The distribution mechanism hasn’t been outlined yet. It might be either a first come first served (the way Saga 1 was sold) or a leaderboard (the way Saga 2 was sold). In any case, you should prepared in advance if you want to bet on this.

First, follow Play Solana and set notifications by clicking the bell icon.

Next, you will need to have around 500 USDC on your Solana account and some SOL to conduct the purchase. It’s a lot, but remember that the goal is to get enough airdrops to first offset the purchase and then potentially get more.

If you’re willing to risk more, consider ordering multiple devices (I purchased 25 Sagas), particularly if a leaderboard is involved. Top leaderboard participants often receive rare NFTs, which could prove valuable in the future.

Before I check out, a friendly reminder that regardless of the ongoing hype there’s still a risk that the new device won’t get as many airdrops as Saga 1 & 2. Thus, only risk it if you’re ready to ultimately receive nothing more but a crypto-themed handheld console.

That’s it for today!

Anton,
Head of Research