The Solana Alpenglow Update Proposal
This week, the developers of the Solana blockchain shocked users when they announced a new update. This proposed update would be one of the largest updates ever to the blockchain, and it is called the Alpenglow update.
Right now, the update is just in the proposal stage, but we do expect it to be eventually implemented. Read on to discover all the details about this proposal and what it would mean for Solana users.
What is the Alpenglow Update?
Let’s start with the basics. And in as few words as possible, the Alpenglow update is all about speed—it was designed specifically to make processing speeds on the Solana blockchain faster than ever before.
This might sound insane when you realize the average processing time right now is 13 seconds. But Solana wants their platform to be even faster, 1/10th of a second per transaction to be exact. Something the developers state needs to happen if they want to continue to remain a part of the quickly developing blockchain tech world.
How Will the Alpenglow Update Work?
Like the Ethereum Merge update, Alpenglow will change the Solana platform by changing the consensus mechanism used to process blocks when they are added to the blockchain. Instead of the unique Tower Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) and Proof of History combo it runs on now, Alpenglow will replace both of these with History of Votor and Rotor—a fairly new, and speedy, consensus mechanism.
Votor, in simple terms, is a fancy proof-of-stake mechanism that allows consensus to be achieved with a single round of voting as long as 80% of stakeholders agree. Lacking that, consensus can be achieved in 2 rounds with 60% participation from stakeholders. What’s even cooler is that these two rounds run simultaneously, with whatever one finishes first finalizing the block, ensuring that there is nothing to bog down the speed of the system.
Rotor, on the other hand, is a new method of data dissemination that expands on Solana’s current Turbine model while simultaneously eliminating its reliance on POH (proof-of-history). The new refinement will reduce network hops by replacing the data turbine with a single-layer relay system. It will additionally leverage eraser-coded data propagation, which can strengthen transmissions.
Votor and Motor together will nearly eliminate current processing bottlenecks. They will also be built with specific resiliency measures to reduce and eliminate outages, something which has been plaguing Solana in recent years.
*Do note that Alpenglow will not eliminate outages completely as Solana will continue to rely on a single validator client, Agave. Though there are rumors that a second client is in the works with planned launch in late 2025.
Who Developed the Alpenglow Upgrade?
The Alpenglow upgrade for the Solana blockchain was invented by Anza, a sector of Solana Labs. Anza, headed by Roger Wattenhofer, was designed specifically for the purpose of monitoring and improving the code behind the Solana ecosystem.
When Will This Upgrade Take Place?
Solana unveiled the plans for Alpenglow on May 19th, 2025. Currently, there is no timeline in place for the implementation of this upgrade, but there are claims that the update will be introduced to the testnet in the next few months. Upgrades to the mainnet take longer, of course, as well as a SIMD (Solana Improvement Document) in order to take place. Based on these requirements, we expect Alpenglow to be implemented sometime in 2026.
Is the Alpenglow Upgrade Good for Solana?
In general, any blockchain which is undergoing some sort of upgrade is inherently good. However, it is important to keep in mind that any sort of recoding in a blockchain can lead to security vulnerabilities for hacks and can cause support splits, which may result in hard forks of any given platform.
That being said, we wholly support the Solana upgrade, as Solana has spent the last few years earning the trust of the public and far outpacing similar blockchains. We are happy that they are working to improve network speed and eliminate outages, as this is just what the platform needs to take itself to the next level.
The Alpenglow update has the potential to make Solana a major player when it comes to gaming, trading, mobile payments, and more. Although the Solana system is already fast, this will make it even faster, a power to truly contend with.
Will Alpenglow Put Solana Above Ethereum
There is a chance that the Alpenglow update will be just the boost Solana needs to pass Ethereum, however we find it unlikely. This is because of the single validator client Solana maintains (with 2,000 validators) which is nothing when you consider that Ethereum has over 800,000 validators.
Additionally, Ethereum is currently undergoing its own upgrades, and with no timeline for Alpenglow, we suspect that Ethereum might surpass another upgrade benchmark before Solana passes a single one. We do, however, think that this upgrade is just what Solana needs to maintain its edge against Binance Coin and TRON.
As it looks right now, the announcement of the potential upgrade wasn’t enough to shoot Solana to the moon. While it did experience a 1% increase in price, it is still far behind Ethereum in terms of price and market capacity. Something that doesn’t surprise us, considering Ethereum’s Pectra just went live earlier this month.
As is, we don’t expect this announcement of an update alone to be enough to raise the Solana price, but we do think as plans become more firm and dates for implementation are announced, the Solana price could increase, at least slightly.
Of course, we don’t have a crystal ball though, and either Solana or Ethereum are quickly becoming poised to become major players in and outside of the blockchain world.
Overall, the announcement of an improvement to the Solana blockchain is exciting. However, the announcement alone is the beginning of a long road, so we urge investors and fans of the blockchain not to get too excited about it just yet. We will post more information about the Alpenglow upgrade as it develops.
