wtf is solana?

This repository holds the original Rust implementation of the Solana blockchain node, written by Solana Labs. The first line of the README is the important one: the repo is now a public archive. It still exists so people can read or fork the reference code, but active development has moved elsewhere. The README points readers to Agave, a continuation of the validator software maintained by a separate company called Anza, at github.com/anza-xyz/agave. Solana itself is a public blockchain that markets itself for fast, scalable applications and marketplaces. The repository description calls it a web-scale blockchain. The README does not go into how the blockchain works, it focuses on how to build and test the node software from source. The build instructions are aimed at Rust developers. You install rustc, cargo, and rustfmt through rustup, then on Linux you install some system libraries like openssl, pkg-config, zlib, llvm, clang, cmake, and protobuf. After cloning the repo you run a wrapper script./cargo build, to compile the node. There is a test suite run with ./cargo test, and instructions for starting a local test network or connecting to the public devnet cluster at devnet.solana.com. The README closes with a long legal disclaimer about export controls and US sanctions law, noting that the code is provided for educational purposes and that users in sanctioned jurisdictions are not permitted to use it.