Solana Slashes Compute Limits to Accommodate 350ms Speed Boost
Solana is introducing a new feature that will reduce per-block compute limits to accommodate its upcoming 350ms speed boost. This change will not overload the network, but rather provide more frequent scheduling opportunities for validators.
The 350ms target on Mainnet is set to take effect in epoch 1020, following a one-epoch delay. Meanwhile, testnet and devnet have already reached effective speeds of 200ms and 300ms, respectively.
Despite the reduction in slot time, Solana's maximum block limit remains unchanged at 100 million compute units per second. The proposal also includes reductions to account-write, vote, data-allocation, and other budgets to prevent quietly doubling resources for validators.
The introduction of shorter target slots will have several effects on the network, including tighter handoff and propagation margins for validators. This may require adjustments from software outside the validator, such as RPC clients and explorers, which rely on slot distance to estimate freshness or elapsed time.