Solana’s blockchain network has cut its slot time to 350 milliseconds, marking a key milestone in its ongoing efforts to enhance performance. The Solana Foundation confirmed the reduction, with average slot times now at 360 milliseconds, down from the network’s initial target of 400 milliseconds.
The update, formalised through the SIMD-0525 proposal merged on 14 May, is part of a broader strategy to improve scalability and transaction throughput. Further reductions to 200 milliseconds are under consideration, with three incremental 50ms cuts planned for mainnet activation in Agave v4.2. However, the timeline for these changes remains tentative.
Anza, the developer of Agave v4.2, is working on validator client updates to support the upgrades. “We’re in a new era of 350ms. Next stop, 300ms,” said Jacob Creech, Solana Foundation’s vice president of technology, in a post on X.
The shift follows industry-wide pressure to optimise consensus mechanisms amid growing competition in the blockchain sector. While the immediate benefits of faster slot times are clear, the foundation has cautioned that technical and operational challenges may delay the full implementation of subsequent reductions.
Written by Roger Slater
Technology Desk
