Anza, a Solana Labs spinout, has proposed a significant upgrade to Solana’s consensus mechanism with the introduction of Alpenglow. This proposal aims to enhance the network’s performance by reducing block finality times to 100–150 milliseconds, a substantial improvement over the current 12.8 seconds. Alpenglow introduces two new components: Votor, which handles voting and block finalization, and Rotor, responsible for data dissemination.

Alpenglow is a proposed overhaul of Solana’s consensus protocol, replacing the existing Tower BFT and Proof-of-History systems. Votor aims to achieve block finality in a single round if 80% of the stake participates, or in two rounds with 60% participation. Rotor, on the other hand, refines Solana’s data dissemination by adopting a direct communication approach, moving away from the traditional gossip protocol.

• Ultra-Fast Finality: Targets block finality within 100–150 milliseconds, significantly faster than the current average.

• Simplified Architecture: Eliminates the need for Proof-of-History, streamlining the consensus process.

• Enhanced Data Propagation: Rotor utilizes a single-layer relay system for efficient data dissemination.

• Resilience: Designed to tolerate up to 20% adversarial and 20% non-responsive stake.

Alpenglow is currently a proposal and has not been implemented on the Solana mainnet. It is undergoing testing and evaluation, with plans for potential deployment pending community approval through a Solana Improvement Document (SIMD).

Article made by Anton Verigin
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