Solana Eyes Bigger Blocks with New Firedancer Proposal

Solana developers are exploring a significant upgrade that could reshape the blockchain’s transaction capacity.

Jump Crypto’s Firedancer development team has submitted proposal SIMD-0370, suggesting the removal of Solana’s block-level compute unit limit.

This could allow block producers to process larger blocks, potentially easing network congestion during periods of high activity.

How compute limits currently work

At present, Solana blocks are capped at 60 million compute units.

This ceiling acts as a safeguard to prevent validators from being overwhelmed by excessive workloads. Earlier this year, Solana core developers had already floated a plan to increase the cap to 100 million compute units, but the upcoming Alpenglow upgrade has prompted some developers to question whether any limit is necessary at all.

If the cap is lifted, blocks could theoretically include as many transactions as validator performance allows.

This flexibility could make the network more resilient during peak demand, such as new token launches or spikes in decentralized finance (DeFi) activity. Larger blocks would mean more transactions confirmed per block, potentially reducing congestion and failed trades that frustrate users.

Debates

Despite the proposal’s promise, not all experts are convinced it will have a tangible effect on Solana users.

Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana’s founder, pointed out that the network rarely experiences full blocks or significant spikes in median fees. In a forum post, he wrote that it is not even clear that burst capacity would be meaningful.

Supporters argue that preparing for potential high-demand scenarios is critical for maintaining Solana’s performance as the ecosystem grows.

Critics caution that lifting compute limits could introduce new risks for validators, including increased hardware demands and potential network instability if not carefully managed.

Solana's stablecoin ecosystem.

Solana's stablecoin supply has reached approximately $14 billion, marking a significant milestone for the network.

Growth is attributed to Solana's ability to process transactions quickly and with low fees, making it a preferred platform for stablecoin issuance and transfers.

Notably, nearly 50% of all USDC transfers now occur on Solana, signaling increased activity from both retail and institutional users.

Institutional investment has also been a driving force behind this expansion. Firms such as Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, and Helius Medical have collectively allocated over $3.8 billion across holdings and network initiatives. Additionally, participation from major financial institutions like BlackRock and Grayscale further underscores the growing confidence in Solana's infrastructure and its capacity to handle high transaction volumes.

Next Steps for the Proposal

The proposal could be implemented following the Alpenglow upgrade, marking a new phase in Solana’s efforts to scale its blockchain infrastructure.

Whether the proposal moves forward will depend on community feedback and validator readiness, the change could allow Solana to handle higher throughput, supporting a more robust ecosystem for DeFi projects, token launches, and other high-volume applications.

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