Solana layer-1 blockchain network, hailed for its speed and cost-effectiveness, has encountered challenges with network congestion in recent weeks. To tackle these issues, developers have released a mainnet beta update, v1.17.31 on April 15, which aims to alleviate congestion and enhance network performance.

Following three days of testing, the update is now recommended for general use by mainnet beta testers.

Key Enhancements in the Update:

Among the notable changes included in the update are:

• Show staked vs. non-staked packets sent down/throttled

• Quic: use smallvec to aggregate chunks, saving 1 alloc per packet

• BankingStage Forwarding Filter

• Treat super low staked as unstaked in streamer QOS

• Tighten the minimal streams per 100ms for staked node

Solana developer Anza has advised validators to upgrade to the latest patch only when there's less than a 5% delinquent stake. This strategic approach aims to ensure a smooth transition to the updated version while maintaining network integrity.

Solana's Rising Prominence and Challenges:

Solana has emerged as a significant player in the blockchain space, touted as a faster and more cost-effective alternative to Ethereum. However, it has faced criticisms regarding centralization and security issues. 

Network outages and congestion have also been recurring concerns, highlighting the need for continuous optimization.

However, Version 1.17.31 marks the initial step in a series of planned updates to tackle network congestion. Rex St John, head of developer relations at Anza, emphasized the importance of validators continually upgrading their nodes to address network issues promptly.

In the final version of the update, transactions from validators with substantial stakes will be prioritized to node leaders for confirmation. This prioritization ensures that validators with higher stakes receive a higher quality of service, mitigating the risk of network flooding by lower-quality validators.