Solana validators have approved SIMD-0236, the network upgrade that implements Alpenglow, a redesigned consensus protocol intended to dramatically speed transaction finality. The vote passed overwhelmingly, with 98.27% yes (52% of stake participated).
Alpenglow reworks Solana’s core consensus to lower confirmation latency to approximately 150–200ms, according to Anza lead economist Max Resnick. That is at least a 5x improvement over today’s ~1 second optimistic confirmations and a large leap from the current 12.8 second finality window. Users should notice snappier apps and exchanges could safely credit deposits faster.
The upgrade was developed by Solana research teams and Anza. Resnick and other supporters describe Alpenglow as a ‘major overhaul’ that brings Solana closer to the performance of centralized finance infrastructure while keeping a focus on resilience and simplicity.
Implementation is being targeted for public testing around the Solana Breakpoint conference in December, with a mainnet rollout planned in Q1 2026. Validator reporting showed a near-unanimous vote: 98.27% yes, 1.05% no, 0.69% abstain, and about half of stake casting votes.
Community reaction was broadly positive: infrastructure providers like QuickNode called Alpenglow a ‘major shift’ toward 100–150ms finality, while investors at Multicoin Capital called it the most significant protocol rewrite to date. Developers caution that sweeping changes require thorough testing to avoid regressions or security issues.
Proponents say the upgrade is a critical step toward high-throughput, low-latency markets on Solana — a path teams believe could eventually push throughput well beyond current limits. Analysts have tied the announcement to bullish price forecasts, with some suggesting SOL could reach roughly $250 by year-end; SOL traded around $207, up about 5% at the time of reporting.
Risk note: protocol rewrites carry implementation and security risks, and price predictions are inherently uncertain. Readers should treat market estimates cautiously and consider technical and operational risks before drawing conclusions.
Source: Decrypt. Read the original coverage for full details.