Anza Aims to Fix Solana Congestion

The Solana network, known for its high-speed transaction capabilities, has recently been facing significant congestion issues. In response, the Anza team, a group that originated from Solana Labs, has introduced a series of proposed solutions in version 1.18.11 of its validator client to tackle these challenges.

A validator client is a critical component in proof-of-stake blockchains like Solana and Ethereum. It is responsible for verifying transactions—ensuring they adhere to network rules and confirming the sender’s available funds—before they are added to the blockchain. This role is pivotal in maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the network.

The congestion problems on Solana have primarily been linked to a spike in spam transactions, which hamper processing speeds and increase transaction drop rates. Solana’s unique infrastructure, which processes transactions directly without a mempool, exacerbates these issues.

As a result, there has been a noticeable impact on transaction processing and communication between nodes, with some data indicating failure rates between 50% to 80%.

To address these issues, the Anza team’s updates focus not only on optimizing the validator clients but also on enhancing computing unit usage and introducing priority fees. These fees aim to improve user experiences by enabling a stake-weighted Quality-of-Service (QoS) system, which prioritizes transactions more effectively based on the stake weight of the participants.

Deployed initially on a devnet, Anza has invited testnet validators to assist in testing the new software. This step is crucial to ensure that the proposed solutions effectively alleviate the congestion before a wider release.

The Solana Foundation has also been active in communicating about these issues. Austin Federa, Head of Strategy at the Solana Foundation, highlighted on Twitter the underlying challenges related to the implementation of the QUIC protocol, noting that recent unprecedented demand has exacerbated a known issue.

Federa’s comments reflect a broader understanding of the situation, describing it as “tech debt”—a reminder that not all technological decisions yield the desired outcomes initially.

Federa remains optimistic, however, drawing parallels to similar challenges faced by the network in early 2022. He emphasizes that while the network has successfully navigated such issues before, the path involves navigating a series of trade-offs.

The efforts by the Anza team and the Solana Foundation to address the current congestion reflect a proactive approach to maintaining and improving network performance. As these solutions are tested and refined, they hold the potential to significantly enhance the robustness and efficiency of the Solana network, ensuring it can meet both current and future demands.