Key facts
- Solana's Alpenglow upgrade targets 150ms transaction finality.
- The upgrade replaces the TowerBFT consensus protocol.
- Alpenglow is scheduled to launch on October 21.
- Current transaction finality on Solana is approximately 12.8 seconds.
Solana's Alpenglow upgrade is scheduled to launch on October 21, aiming to significantly reduce transaction finality to approximately 150 milliseconds. Developed by Anza over 18 months, the upgrade replaces the network's original TowerBFT consensus protocol. The new system, Votor, allows validators to exchange messages directly and package them into certificates, enabling blocks to finalize after one or two voting rounds. This represents an approximately 85-fold improvement over Solana's current average finality of 12.8 seconds. The upgrade is expected to enhance network efficiency and bolster confidence among developers and investors.