The Solana Foundation has taken a decisive step to protect users by removing several validator operators from its delegation program due to their involvement in sandwich attacks on the network.

The Solana Foundation has taken a firm stance against malicious activities on its network. Recently, they removed several validator operators from their delegation program due to their involvement in sandwich attacks on Solana users. This decision, described as final, was announced by Tim Garcia, Solana Validator Relations Lead, on the Solana Foundation’s Discord server.

Solana Foundation Cracks Down on Sandwich Attacks

Garcia emphasized that the foundation's decisions are final and that enforcement actions are ongoing to detect operators participating in mempools that allow sandwich attacks. The foundation aims to ensure that validators who engage in malicious activities, such as sandwich attacks, are not supported by the delegation program.

Sandwich attacks involve front-running exploits where attackers place transactions around a victim's transaction to manipulate the price and profit from the difference. This type of attack was explicitly prohibited by the Solana Foundation via a Discord post on May 7, 2024. Garcia reiterated the foundation's unwavering stance, stating that operators engaging in malicious activities will not be tolerated by the delegation program.

The Solana Foundation Delegation Program was established to help validators operate effectively by delegating SOL tokens to them. However, validators who engage in malicious activities will no longer receive SOL delegations from the foundation, effectively ending their subsidy.

Despite their removal from the delegation program, the validators involved in sandwich attacks can still contribute to the Solana blockchain. However, they will no longer receive SOL delegations from the foundation, which effectively ends their subsidy.

The Solana Foundation's commitment to enforcing rules against exploitative practices reflects its dedication to maintaining a fair and trustworthy environment for all Solana users. By removing support from validators involved in these attacks, the foundation hopes to deter future malicious activities and uphold the integrity of the network.