CoinDesk
Solana has scheduled its Alpenglow upgrade for Oct. 21, targeting transaction finality in about 150 milliseconds. The target depends on network conditions, and the upgrade will replace TowerBFT, Solana’s existing validator voting system.
Why it matters
Alpenglow moves validator votes off-chain. Instead of recording votes as transactions, validators will exchange them directly and combine enough approvals into a certificate that finalizes a block after one or two voting rounds. A payment can already appear successful quickly, but finality provides a stronger guarantee that it cannot be reversed.
That assurance could let merchants accept payments and cross-chain bridges release funds sooner. The change also affects how Solana’s activity is measured: reported transaction counts may fall sharply when validator votes no longer appear in blocks, even if trading and payment activity stays flat.
Market impact
The upgrade is scheduled for epoch 1064, expected to begin around 15:00 UTC on Oct. 21. Solana will keep its existing voting system for the first 5,000 slots, then switch to Alpenglow roughly 18 minutes later.
Validators need software built on Agave 4.3.0. Firedancer and Frankendancer operators will have to switch software temporarily because those alternatives will not support the initial migration. Validator voting charges of roughly 1 SOL per epoch will end and be replaced by a flat 0.8 SOL admission fee. Adoption, network conditions and the transition itself will shape how closely real-world finality matches the 150-millisecond target.
Frequently asked questions
-
What finality target does Solana’s Alpenglow upgrade set?
Alpenglow targets transaction finality in about 150 milliseconds. Actual performance will depend on network conditions.
-
How will Alpenglow change validator voting on Solana?
It replaces TowerBFT and moves validator votes off-chain. Validators will exchange votes directly and combine approvals into a certificate to finalize blocks after one or two voting rounds.
-
Why might Solana’s transaction count fall after the upgrade?
Validator votes currently appear as on-chain transactions. Moving those votes off-chain could reduce reported counts even if user trading and payment activity remains flat.
-
What software will Solana validators need for the migration?
Validators need software built on Agave 4.3.0. Firedancer and Frankendancer operators will need to switch software temporarily because those alternatives will not support the initial migration.
-
How will the upgrade change validator charges?
Voting charges of roughly 1 SOL per epoch will end and be replaced by a flat admission fee of 0.8 SOL.
CoinTelegraph
WuBlockchain
CryptoSlate
Crypto News
WatcherGuru
TheBlock