- Solana Foundation’s new policy cuts Foundation reliance, promotes community support.
- Shift away from Foundation delegation to community-focused strategy.
- Focus on decentralization and network maturity.
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Solana Foundation announced a policy shift on April 23, 2025, designed to reduce internal reliance and promote community validators’ participation.
Solana’s strategic transition signals increased network maturity through enhanced decentralization and reduced central reliance. The policy’s long-term implications may influence validator economics and decentralization dynamics.
The Solana Foundation’s recent policy shifts focus on fostering community-based validators. Announced by Ben Hawkins, it reflects a commitment to a competitive environment, aiming to reduce reliance on Foundation delegations. For every new validator joining, three unsupported validators exit.
Lily Liu, President of Solana Foundation, explained, “VINO” or “Validator in Name Only” captures the essence of our intent to address underperforming validators who rely solely on Foundation support without attracting external stake.
The policy involves major stakeholders including Lily Liu, who criticized non-performing validators as “VINO”. Mert Mumtaz expressed support, indicating confidence in Solana’s potential market impact. Solana aims to prompt validators to seek external staking.
The decision impacts Solana’s staking ecosystem, leading to intensified competition. Solana currently exhibits a high staking rate, with 65% of its circulating supply staked, a significant contrast to Ethereum and BNB. Changes might affect validator incentives.
This policy aims at decentralization to address centralization risks and high costs. By favoring validators attracting external stakes, Solana ensures a sustainable ecosystem. These measures respond to growing computational and financial demands.
Transitioning from reliance signifies a maturation point for Solana’s ecosystem. As independent validators gain prominence, decentralized networks may see improved stability. Solana’s approach mirrors common maturation patterns in proof-of-stake blockchains.
“Committed to fostering a self-sustaining, competitive validator community by removing nodes that haven’t proven their commitment to Solana” – Ben Hawkins