Firedancer Devs Push Solana Speed Limits as SOL Bulls Eye Breakout

• Jump Crypto’s SIMD-0370 proposal seeks to remove Solana’s compute block limit, boosting throughput but raising centralization risks.
• Alpenglow upgrade and Firedancer client push Solana toward faster scaling, aiming for internet-level transaction performance.

Web3 infrastructure firm Jump Crypto has introduced a new proposal created to change how Solana processes transactions. The initiative, identified as SIMD-0370, seeks to remove the network’s fixed compute block limit and is expected to be considered after the upcoming Alpenglow upgrade.

The plan would allow high-performance validators to handle larger and more complex blocks, while slower validators would bypass them. By shifting responsibility in this way, the network could improve overall throughput and encourage hardware upgrades across its validator base.

Alpenglow Sets Stage for Future Changes

The Alpenglow upgrade, as highlighted in our previous post, passed earlier this month with near-unanimous approval and will reach Solana’s testnet in December. Research company Anza, a spinout from Solana Labs, described Alpenglow as the most significant protocol change yet for the network.

According to Anza, the implementation aims to cut transaction finality times from 12.8 seconds to just 150 milliseconds. Alongside other improvements, the upgrade is intended to strengthen network resilience while positioning Solana closer to performance levels seen in internet infrastructure.

Firedancer and Validator Client Diversification

Jump Crypto’s involvement with Solana extends beyond proposals. The company is also building the Firedancer validator client, which went live on Solana’s mainnet in September 2024 with limited functionality. Expanding the validator client base has been a priority for the ecosystem to reduce reliance on any single software implementation and to improve stability during traffic spikes.

The new proposal builds on these efforts. Anza explained that by allowing producers to pack more transactions into blocks, validators are encouraged to upgrade hardware to avoid losing rewards. This process, they said, generates a “performance flywheel” that could push network limits further over time.

Solana’s current compute block limit stands at 60 million units. In May, Jito Labs CEO Lucas Bruder proposed raising the cap to 100 million under SIMD-0286. The latest proposal takes the debate a step further by removing the cap altogether.

However, concerns about centralization risks have surfaced. Engineer Akhilesh Singhania noted on GitHub that smaller validators may be forced out if they cannot afford higher-performance equipment. This scenario, he warned, could leave Solana with fewer but larger validators, potentially concentrating control.

Market Context and Performance Pressure

Solana has experienced strong adoption as a platform for decentralized applications and fast, low-cost transactions. Its decentralized exchange trading volumes have surpassed Ethereum’s at various points during 2025. Still, the network has faced challenges. Unexpected surges in traffic have led to delays over the past years, signaling the need for upgrades that can ensure smoother performance.

By introducing SIMD-0370, developers aim to align Solana’s infrastructure with its growing user activity. With Firedancer advancing, Alpenglow approaching testnet deployment, and ongoing debates about validator participation, the network is preparing for a new phase of scaling.

These technical moves arrive as market participants focus on Solana’s price momentum, with investors weighing whether stronger basic factors could support a breakout for SOL.