Validators DAO’s Post

SLV, the open-source platform designed to automate Solana validator and RPC operations, has released version v0.9.502 with official RPC support for both Devnet and Testnet. This update makes it easier to deploy development and testing environments and safely verify functionality under configurations similar to production. The new release also adds automated region selection for the Jito Block Engine. In previous setups, operators had to manually identify the nearest Block Engine and set the region URL themselves. With SLV v0.9.502, the system automatically measures latency from the node’s IP to available Jito Block Engines and applies the optimal region instantly. Operators can now rely on automatic configuration that always selects the appropriate connection without manual adjustment. SLV will further enhance its alerting and monitoring features, allowing validators to observe their node status in real time. While preserving flexibility for advanced users, SLV continues to improve usability so that daily operations can be managed more intuitively. In future updates, a local UI application running entirely on the user’s computer will allow all validator and RPC operations to be completed within a single secure interface. SLV remains committed to providing a dependable infrastructure for both developers and operators, supporting the ongoing growth and reliability of the Solana ecosystem. Details: https://lnkd.in/eCBRZt3i

Solana rotates its leader validators every slot, causing the location of block production to move around the world. Frankfurt hosts roughly 20% of all validators and remains a major hub, but when leadership shifts to other regions, latency increases and differences in data acquisition and reaction time become noticeable. To address this, resources can be distributed across multiple key regions such as Frankfurt, New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. By receiving Shreds along the shortest possible path within each region, it becomes possible to maintain “always fastest somewhere.” Connecting these regions through a private backbone allows streams to complement one another and further enhances real-time responsiveness. The ERPC Leader Slot Information API (getLeaderSlots API) provides leader details for specific slots, together with reference ping values measured from the Frankfurt region and approximate validator locations derived from IP data. This enables developers to determine which region offers the most favorable conditions at any given time. With the introduction of the Alpenglow consensus, block finalization is expected to improve dramatically—from roughly 12.3 seconds to about 100–150 ms. The SIMD-0337 Parent-Ready Update Marker is a proposal designed to eliminate delays during leader transitions and serves as a guide for designing operations in the Alpenglow era. By combining Premium Ryzen VPS instances with the Bundle Plan, developers can build a unified high-speed communication setup integrating HTTP, gRPC, and Shredstream. This structure allows each region to operate an optimized, low-latency detection environment. ERPC and Validators DAO will continue strengthening the underlying infrastructure that enhances the performance, efficiency, and decentralization of the Solana network. Details: https://lnkd.in/eJZFKqWU

ERPC, the Solana RPC platform operated by ELSOUL LABO B.V. (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Validators DAO, has announced a price revision for its top-tier dedicated gRPC and Shredstream “EPYC Plan,” now set at €980 per month.   The update reflects the results of continued in-house research and development, achieving a more efficient and power-conscious architecture that reduces cost while maintaining high performance. Ordinarily, gRPC endpoints without stake have a lower priority in receiving Shreds, which can cause nodes to lag behind the latest block.   ERPC resolves this issue by introducing a relay within the same network as the Jito Block Engine that feeds Shreds separately to gRPC nodes.   This design improves synchronization speed and consistency, enabling gRPC nodes to receive up-to-date block data with reduced latency and higher reliability. In the Shredstream configuration, the AMD EPYC processor’s multi-core and high-memory-bandwidth design has been tuned to improve spike resistance during high-load conditions.   The optimized setup sustains ultra-low-latency UDP communication while maintaining stable throughput even during real-time fluctuations. All dedicated plans run on Solana’s private DoubleZero optical-fiber network, which integrates Shredstream, gRPC, and SWQoS endpoints on the same dedicated backbone.   By removing dependence on external Internet routes, ERPC minimizes route variation and physical distance, ensuring a stable, zero-distance connection between key Solana components. Following this revision, both the Shredstream Metal EPYC and dedicated gRPC node plans are standardized at €980 per month (excluding tax).   Existing customers will automatically transition to the new pricing upon renewal. ERPC continues to enhance the DoubleZero network and strengthen its bare-metal and VPS infrastructure offerings, further improving the reliability and responsiveness of the Solana ecosystem. Details: https://lnkd.in/eWK9WHf6

Instruction introspection on Solana On Solana, each transaction may consist of multiple instructions executing in sequence. The mechanism of instruction introspection allows a program to inspect other instructions included in the same transaction via the special sysvar account. By reading this account, the executing program can fetch the index of the current instruction and then load another instruction at a given index to examine its program ID, account metadata, and instruction data. This capability opens up a range of powerful patterns. For example, a program can enforce that a specific setup instruction appears prior to its own invocation in the same transaction. Such a pattern is used in signature-verification pipelines: one instruction executes native ed25519/secp256k1 verification, and the subsequent custom instruction introspects to confirm that the verification happened as expected. With this power comes responsibility. Misusing instruction introspection can introduce vulnerabilities. For instance, if a program uses absolute indexes (e.g., always expecting a required instruction at index 0) rather than relative indexes, then an attacker might craft a transaction with multiple repeated target instructions and exploit the logic to get unintended benefits. Also, introspecting instructions without validating the program ID, account roles and data structure can lead to spoofing or unintended execution paths. Instruction introspection gives Solana smart contract developers a new dimension of control within a transaction. It enables tighter sequencing, richer multi-instruction workflows, and cross-program coordination without relying solely on state or off-chain assumptions. But like all advanced features, it demands rigorous validation and careful design to avoid introducing hidden attack surfaces.

🚀 Cronos is set to launch its “Smarturn” v1.5 upgrade on Oct 30, 2025! The update adds smart accounts (EIP-7702), new Ethereum opcodes, faster transactions, and enhanced IBC connectivity, boosting speed and developer experience. ⚡ #Cronos #Web3 https://lnkd.in/d63kKSkd

elSOL, a Liquid Staking Token (LST) designed for the Solana network, has released White Paper v3, introducing a new framework that transforms stake into a functional network resource. The revision unifies SWQoS (Stake-weighted Quality of Service) bandwidth utilization, the SSP (SOL Staking Power) market, and the VLD token arbitration model to improve efficiency and decentralization within the Solana ecosystem. elSOL validators apply zero commission and return 20% of their block reward profits to the staking pool every epoch, providing a stable base yield even without direct use of the SWQoS market. Through SSP, stakers can sell or allocate bandwidth, earning VLD rewards proportionate to actual network utilization. The VLD token is pegged at 1 USDC = 10 VLD, with a fixed maximum supply of 10 million VLD. This design maintains price stability through arbitrage between minting and market activity, while dynamically adjusting issuance according to real bandwidth demand. VLD thereby supports efficient and transparent pricing for Solana’s communication resources. By combining staking rewards, validator redistribution, and SWQoS bandwidth incentives, elSOL enables a sustainable and equitable reward cycle for participants. The project continues to advance infrastructure research and economic models that optimize Solana’s network performance and decentralized incentive structure. Details: https://lnkd.in/eb_cm4GC

Native cross-chain bridging is live on Toronet! 🛠️ Now, users can now move assets seamlessly across Ethereum, BSC, TRON, and Solana — directly through the Toronet App and Web. This feature consolidates Toronet’s mission to build a more open, accessible, and gasless financial ecosystem. Here’s what it means for everyone 👇 ✅For Users: Transacting across chains just got simpler. No gas fees. No switching wallets. ✅For Developers: Build dApps that reach users across major ecosystems without worrying about high gas costs or technical complexity. ✅For the Ecosystem: Toronet's bridging infrastructure creates genuine interoperability—not through external protocols, but through native architecture. ⚠️ Note: Solana bridging currently available via web interface, with mobile support in active development. Start using Toronet today: https://t.co/vEuSuHPni9 #Toronet

Introducing Shield: Zero-Trust Transaction Validation for Yield Integrations In Web3, transaction integrity is everything. Even the smallest modification to an unsigned transaction can redirect funds, swap addresses, or trigger the wrong contract call. Shield — a new zero-trust validation library from Yield.xyz — eliminates that risk. It acts as a guardrail between the Yield API and the user’s wallet, verifying that every transaction is structurally correct, untampered, and matches a known-safe operation pattern before it’s ever signed. Key features: ➡️ Zero-trust verification of unsigned transactions ➡️ Chain-agnostic (EVM, Solana, Tron live today) ➡️ Protects users from manipulated payloads and contract calls By embedding Shield into wallets, SDKs, or partner integrations, developers can guarantee that users only sign what’s intended — a crucial step toward a fully secure, standardized yield infrastructure layer. Learn more about Shield on our Blog: https://lnkd.in/gD7ZXqpE

Optimizing Solana smart contracts by managing compute units On Solana, every transaction fee is composed of the base fee and the priority fee. The base fee is minimal and uniform across the network and the priority fee is optional and acts as a tip to validators, incentivizing them to include a transaction sooner. This priority fee is calculated as the price per compute unit (CU) multiplied by the number of compute units consumed during execution. The price per CU fluctuates dynamically based on network demand, but developers have full control over how many units their programs consume. Each instruction in a Solana transaction consumes compute units. Solana’s fees are generally low but most developers underestimate how CU usage scales at volume. For protocols or dApps processing millions of transactions, excessive CU consumption can translate into significant additional costs for users, especially when priority fees are used to guarantee faster inclusion during network congestion. To manage this, developers should measure and optimize CU consumption early in the development process. The simplest way to do this is by simulating transactions before execution, which reveals the exact number of CUs a program uses. This helps that inefficiencies like redundant cross-program invocations, unnecessary data serialization, or excessive account reads can be identified and minimized. Additionally, developers can use Solana’s ComputeBudgetProgram to set safe limits and prevent transactions from running out of CUs mid-execution. Setting realistic limits ensures stability while avoiding waste. In essence, lowering CUs leads to more efficient, predictable, and user-friendly programs with reduced operational cost at scale.

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