Key facts
- Solana's transaction size limit increased to 4,096 bytes from 1,232 bytes.
- The upgrade was activated on mainnet at the start of epoch 1,035 on Tuesday.
- The upgrade introduced the v1 transaction format, maintaining backward compatibility.
- The new limit allows for more complex operations like zero-knowledge proofs and multi-signature transactions.
Solana's mainnet has undergone an upgrade that significantly increases its maximum transaction size limit, a move designed to enhance the capabilities of developers on the network. The limit has been raised from 1,232 bytes to 4,096 bytes, providing more space within a single transaction for complex operations. This includes the integration of zero-knowledge proofs and transactions requiring multiple signatures, as well as new onchain signature schemes. The upgrade was activated on Tuesday at the beginning of epoch 1,035, around 1:00 am UTC, according to data from the Solana Foundation. The update also introduced the v1 transaction format, which ensures full backward compatibility with existing transactions, meaning older formats will continue to function. However, protocols seeking to leverage the increased size limit must adopt the v1 transactions. A spokesperson for the Solana Foundation indicated that the primary goal is to unlock workloads that were previously constrained by transaction size limitations. In recent months, Solana has also focused on improving network performance, having reduced its slot time from 400 milliseconds to 350ms in August, with plans to further reduce it to 200ms to enhance latency and confirmation speeds. Additionally, Solana validators approved a proposal in late August to double the network's annual disinflation rate, which will decrease the future issuance of its native token, SOL.