In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana Labs and known as “toly,” shed light on a fundamental aspect of the Solana blockchain. Contrary to popular belief that Solana was primarily designed for maximum speed, Yakovenko emphasized that its main purpose is to synchronize states globally as fast as physics permits.

Yakovenko Emphasizes Global Synchronization

Solana is an open-source blockchain built to synchronize global information at unprecedented speeds. This vision places a premium on low latency and throughput, even if it means sacrificing some degree of verifiability to achieve global state synchronization. Key components like the Proof of History (PoH) timestamp mechanism, the Turbine block propagation protocol, and parallel transaction processing are integral to its design. These features collectively ensure efficient synchronization worldwide.

Yakovenko’s remarks provide a new perspective on Solana’s design intentions. While the blockchain is often praised for its high throughput, Yakovenko clarified that speed was not the primary goal. The real objective was to create a system capable of achieving global state synchronization with exceptional efficiency. This sets Solana apart from other blockchains that mainly focus on maximizing transaction throughput.

Solana’s Performance and Market Movement

Recent data from CoinGecko highlights Solana’s performance. On April 6, amid the meme coin frenzy, Solana was the fastest among major blockchains, with an actual daily average of 1,504 transactions per second (TPS). This rate is 46 times faster than Ethereum and over five times quicker than Polygon, the fastest Ethereum scaling solution.

Despite these impressive figures, Yakovenko reiterated that high throughput was not Solana’s primary aim. The blockchain’s design focuses on latency and synchronization, striving for efficient global state synchronization. CoinGecko noted that Solana has only reached 1.6% of its theoretical maximum speed of 65,000 TPS. The increased transaction volume has led to network congestion, prompting questions about how soon Solana can achieve higher real TPS with future improvements.

Market Sentiment and Future Outlook

As of now, Solana’s native token, SOL, is experiencing a bullish trend. The token’s price has risen by over 5%, reaching $168.43 in the last 24 hours. Bulls have established a support level at $156.77 and a resistance level at $171.61. However, the trading volume for SOL has dropped by 10%, suggesting a possible bearish sentiment in the near future.

In conclusion, Yakovenko’s insights highlight Solana’s core focus on global state synchronization rather than mere speed. This vision distinguishes Solana from other blockchains and underpins its design philosophy, aiming for efficient and swift global synchronization. As Solana continues to evolve, its approach to balancing latency, throughput, and synchronization will be crucial to its success.