Gasless Hub

A sponsor powered gasless layer for Solana that removes the need for SOL and gives users instant, friction free transactions, while creating brand goodwill through on chain sponsorship.

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Inspiration

Every time I've tried to use a Solana dApp, I ran into the same problem. I did not have SOL to pay for gas. Even though fees are tiny, the act of buying, bridging, or swapping for SOL creates friction that stops new users from ever finishing an action. On top of that, getting new people into crypto has always been difficult. They do not understand why gas fees exist when bank accounts send money without fees, they do not understand slippage, and these concepts create confusion that blocks them from ever completing a simple transaction. We wanted to remove this barrier completely and build a true gasless experience that feels like a normal Web2 application. That led us to create Gasless Hub, a sponsor powered gas abstraction layer for Solana.

What it does

Gasless Hub allows anyone to transact on Solana without owning SOL. Users sign transactions as normal, and a Kora powered fee payer covers the network fee using funds supplied by sponsors. Sponsor deposits move into Solana through Circle CCTP and fill the Kora fee pool, which automatically pays for user fees. The UX stays exactly the same, but the requirement for SOL disappears. This improves onboarding, increases dApp conversions, and creates a new goodwill channel for companies who sponsor real user activity.

How we built it

We built a fully working prototype wallet that integrates with the Kora signing infrastructure using a fee pool. Fee Pool Program (Anchor)

  • Program ID: Gf6cs1GPqrkNqvWiP3mxwP9ppd7Pd3q2YiffzZGeui2K
  • Explorer: View on Solana Explorer
  • Size: 1.95 MB
  • Last Deploy: Slot 425858800

USDC Vault

  • Address: 6EPYx8EvezNiowmRqt1siFuKo92knyYhveshJtgHjJVk
  • Type: SPL Token Account (USDC)

Kora Fee Payer

  • Address: CrcUrpw22y5Fwum4jRBPBiMcw98FWKgsQFGEpYsFNPgU
  • Role: Signs transactions as fee payer for gasless transfers

Key components include:

  • A custom wallet layer that routes transactions through a Kora fee payer
  • A sponsor pool design where USDC deposits move cross chain using Circle CCTP
  • Integration logic that converts sponsor funds into gas coverage
  • A clean front end for signing and sending Solana transactions
  • A transparent attribution system so users see which sponsor enabled their free transaction

Everything works without altering the user’s normal signing flow.

Challenges we ran into

We had to deeply understand how fee payers work at a protocol level and how to route user transactions through a relayer while keeping the flow non custodial. Integrating with Kora required careful handling of signatures and validation rules. Designing sponsor pools that are both transparent and easy to manage also required iteration. Creating a stable UX that felt natural without popups or interruptions was a constant balancing act. We also had to think about the broader problem of user education since many new users do not understand gas, slippage, or why blockchain transactions behave differently from traditional finance.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We built a working gasless wallet end to end during the hackathon. We integrated Kora fee pools, designed a sponsor funded architecture, and demonstrated real Solana transactions executed without any SOL in the user wallet. We are also proud that our approach creates goodwill for companies by letting them sponsor real user activity rather than generic advertising. Most importantly, we proved that removing friction makes it easier for completely non technical users to participate without worrying about gas fees or complex concepts.

What we learned

We learned how powerful fee abstraction can be for onboarding new users. We gained hands on experience with Kora, Circle CCTP, Solana transaction flows, and non custodial signing systems. We also learned that reducing cognitive load around concepts like gas, slippage, and fee tokens is just as important as reducing the financial cost. Small UX details make a huge difference when helping users take their first steps into blockchain.

What's next for Gasless Hub

We plan to expand sponsor pools into reusable modules that wallets and dApps can integrate directly. We want to offer analytics dashboards for sponsors and allow dApps to preload user fees as part of their onboarding. Long term, Gasless Hub can become a shared gas infrastructure layer for Solana, enabling cross application gasless experiences and unlocking access for millions of new users.

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