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Solana Just Released a Patch for Congestion Issue, But on Testnet

Anza deployed a congestion patch to fix Solana’s congestion issue. Still, the patch is yet to go live on the blockchain’s mainnet.

Avatar image of Mishael Nwani Mishael Nwani•April 12, 2024
Solana SOL

Anza, one of Solana’s core contributors and validator clients, recently published a congestion patch on Devnet to fix the prolonged congestion issues seen on the Solana mainnet. Anza advised that the patch first be released on the Solana testnet for validators to confirm its efficiency before going live.

Why is Solana Congested?

Layer-1 blockchain Solana has emerged as one of the prominent networks for several crypto-based projects. In the first quarter of this year, the network processed over double of the transaction volumes recorded by competitor blockchains. Topping the list of Solana-based projects that garnered much attention were memecoins.

However, the continuous rise of these memecoins and bots has fueled the recent congestion within the blockchain. As memecoin projects emerge, bots and humans compete for block space, causing slower network speed and higher fees. Among these transactions from bots is the surge in spam transactions. This sudden network traffic has caused failed transactions from regular users.

Earlier this week, Solana Foundation’s head of strategy Austin Federa stated that Anza and other core contributors like Firedancer and Jito are proactively working to rectify the network issues.

Last week, the Anza team traced the network’s issue to a QUIC implementation and the behaviour of its validator client Agave when asked to process voluminous requests. The team added that it would join forces with other core contributors to remedy the situation. Today’s patch, which the Anza engineers call “the v.1.18.11 release” likely signifies a first step towards rectifying the issue.

On the bright side, Solana-based platforms like Phantom have recently admitted an improved network performance, indicating that the Solana engineers are actively working towards resolving the network congestion.

Impact on SOL’s Performance

The prolonged congestion issue has caused SOL’s price to drop to as low as $164 over the past week. At press time, the coin traded at $151, amid a market-wide bloodbath. 

Mishael Nwani

Mishael Nwani is an avid crypto enthusiast with nearly four years of experience in the industry. Since 2022, he has covered topics across cryptocurrencies, NFTs, artificial intelligence, and financial markets.