Solana Developers Release Software Update to Alleviate Network Congestion
The Solana developers have recommended a new software update, version 1.17.31, for general use by mainnet validators. The release, which aims to address the congestion problem that has plagued the popular blockchain in recent months, contains improvements designed to alleviate the ongoing network congestion.
Key points:
- Version 1.17.31 marks the start of a series of scheduled upgrades targeted at reducing network congestion.
- The patch includes improvements in data packet handling, node classification based on stake, and default settings.
- Congestion issues have been attributed to an influx of spam transactions and increased activity related to meme coin frenzy.
- Version 1.18, targeted for release this month, will focus on making transaction scheduling more deterministic.
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Rex St John, head of developer relations at Anza, the team responsible for rolling out Monday’s update, stated that version 1.17.31 is just the beginning of a series of planned updates to address the network’s congestion issues.
Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko noted that it typically takes about 30 incremental updates, or patch releases, to develop and confirm a major software version.
Solana developers address congestion issues
An influx of spam transactions, with bots attempting to prioritize their activities over those of regular users, has been largely responsible for the recent congestion issues on the Solana network.
A significant surge in transactions associated with recently launched meme coins has worsened this problem. Consequently, there has been an unprecedented demand for block space on the network, resulting in limited access for numerous users.
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The update in version 1.17.31 focuses on prioritizing transactions from “good” validators, defined as those with substantial stakes, to a node leader for final confirmation.
This prioritization system ensures that Solana validators with higher stakes receive a superior level of service, thereby thwarting potential attempts by lower-quality validators to lag the network with transactions.