Solana Plans Major Network Boost With Gas Limit Hike Proposal

Solana’s core developers have proposed a new upgrade to help alleviate network congestion and handle increased activity on the blockchain network. The plan includes raising the compute limit to support the growing demand.

Announced on July 24, the developers have introduced a new upgrade proposal called the SIMD-0286, which could significantly increase the network’s compute power.  This upgrade is poised to raise the per-block compute limit from 60 million to 100 million compute units (CUs). 

New Proposal to Give Apps More Breathing Room

This 66% increase is designed to support the network’s growing user base and ensure that decentralized finance (DeFi) apps and tools run smoothly. Compute units are used to measure the amount of work that validators can perform within a short period, approximately 400 milliseconds per block. 

When the limit is too low, complex programs can exhaust their processing power. This can lead to errors in systems such as order-book DEXs and MEV auction tools. By raising the limit, Solana aims to mitigate these issues and create more space for high-demand applications.

Solana last raised its block compute limit on July 23, with the rollout of SIMD-0256, which increased the network capacity to 60 million CUs. This upgrade enabled the network to handle approximately 1,700 transactions per second during peak hours.

However, Solana network activity has continued to grow. Developers are now building more advanced apps, such as restaking protocols, Non-Fungible Token (NFT) minting platforms, and Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN). 

These apps require more computing resources to function correctly and avoid errors such as “compute budget exceeded.” Developers are requesting more space to build and operate without encountering limitations. The new SIMD-0286 proposal directly answers that call.

Solana’s Big Boost Awaits Green Light from Validators

The proposed change is currently being tested and discussed in the Solana community. If approved, it will be included in a future software update. Validators will need to upgrade their software. 

Once enough of them agree, the new compute limit will automatically go live in a future epoch.

This automatic switch ensures that the upgrade happens smoothly and with broad support.

Solana Keeps Pace with Rival Blockchains

This proposal comes at a time when other major blockchains are also improving their systems. Earlier this year, the Ethereum blockchain introduced the Pectra hard fork, which enhances how roll-ups use temporary data known as “blobs” introduced in its earlier Dencun upgrade. 

These changes help Ethereum support roll-up scaling solutions. Meanwhile, Bitcoin developers are exploring a new OP_CAT opcode that could expand the network’s smart contract features. If approved, it could enable new features, such as covenants, which are rules that govern how digital coins can be used in future transactions.