Solana Pushes Forward with Professional Education and Network Optimization

In the ever-evolving landscape of blockchain technology, Solana continues to make strides in both education and network efficiency. The latest Solana Changelog, featuring Nick from the Solana Foundation DevRel team and Mike, brings to light several exciting developments that are set to enhance the Solana ecosystem.

Professional Education: Empowering the Next Generation of Solana Developers

Solana has taken a significant leap in blockchain education with the introduction of a comprehensive professional education repository. This initiative is designed to equip organizations and individuals with the tools necessary to train others on Solana's technology.

"This is something that we're really starting to push out to existing organizations," Mike explained. "Anyone who wants to be able to train other people on Solana, we have not just the content, but the instructor notes, the example code, the guides to run events, anything that any external organization could need to train people on Solana and just hit the ground running and go."

The repository, available on GitHub, offers a range of educational resources tailored for different time commitments:

• One-hour introductory sessions
• One-day intensive workshops
• A full four-day training course (which can be adapted into a 12-week program)

This versatile approach ensures that learners at various levels of expertise can find suitable content to enhance their Solana development skills. The initiative demonstrates Solana's commitment to growing its developer community and fostering innovation within its ecosystem.

Updating Educational Content: Keeping Pace with Rapid Changes

Recognizing the rapid pace of change in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space, Solana has also undertaken a significant effort to update its existing educational content. All the material previously hosted on Solana.com has been redirected and is undergoing a comprehensive review and update process.

"A couple of the older courses we've noticed were a little bit out of date," Nick pointed out. "They were made a couple of years ago. Anchor updates, Solana updates, a lot of things changing crypto in a small amount of time."

To address this, Solana has engaged a talented group from Super Team to revise and modernize the course content. This team, including notable contributors like Cythecota, Manuel, Sam, Woor, and Jimmy, is working diligently to ensure that all example code works with the current versions of Solana tools and popular frameworks like React.

This update process is crucial for maintaining the relevance and accuracy of Solana's educational resources. It ensures that developers learning Solana are working with the most up-to-date information and best practices, which is essential in the fast-paced world of blockchain development.

Stack Exchange: A Thriving Community Resource

The Solana Stack Exchange continues to be a vibrant hub of knowledge-sharing and problem-solving within the community. The changelog highlighted the top contributors for the week, with Jimmy taking the lead.

"Jimmy was actually top on the Stack Exchange leaderboard this week," Nick mentioned, emphasizing the importance of community-driven support.

Other notable contributors included Nara Vane, Mohammed Saeed, FE2, and John C. Fan. The active participation on Stack Exchange demonstrates the strong sense of community within the Solana ecosystem, where developers are eager to help each other overcome challenges and share insights.

RPC 2.0: A Major Upgrade Requiring Developer Attention

One of the most significant updates discussed in the changelog is the impending release of Solana RPC version 2.0, specifically Agave RPC version 2.0. This update brings with it a number of changes that developers need to be aware of and prepare for.

"All the deprecated RPC methods and things are going to be moved to need to make sure you're going through and updating your code if you're using anything that's marked deprecated," Nick warned.

Mike elaborated on some of the specific changes:

• getConfirmedBlocks is now getBlocks
• getConfirmedTransaction is now getSignatureStatus

These changes are part of a broader effort to improve the naming conventions and functionality of the RPC methods. While the updates are generally seen as positive and more intuitive, they do require developers to update their existing code to ensure compatibility.

"A lot of these have been marked deprecated for a while, but now it's actually happening," Mike emphasized. "Now is the time to go through and replace all those calls. It's a pretty easy change. You just need to do it."

To assist developers in this transition, some RPC providers are proactively reaching out to customers who are heavily using the soon-to-be-deprecated calls. This proactive approach helps ensure a smoother transition for the entire ecosystem.

Compute Unit Optimization: SIMD-172 Proposal

Perhaps the most impactful development discussed in the changelog is the SIMD-172 proposal, aimed at reducing the default compute unit (CU) per instruction. This proposal has significant implications for network efficiency and validator economics.

Currently, transactions that do not specify a custom compute budget default to 200,000 compute units per instruction. This often results in wasted compute resources and less optimized blocks. The SIMD-172 proposal introduces a tiered system to address this inefficiency.

Nick explained the proposed changes:

1. Initially, the default will be reduced from 200,000 CUs to 20,000 CUs.
2. After a period of time, the default will be completely removed, setting it to zero.

"Once this is fully live, every single developer will need to manually put in a compute budget instruction to set the specific compute unit usage within their transaction," Nick clarified.

This change is expected to lead to more densely packed blocks, which has several positive implications:

1. Improved network efficiency
2. Better utilization of Solana's computational resources
3. Increased revenue for validator operators

Mike praised the approach: "They've done it in a really responsible way as well. I think reducing it from an insanely high number to a reasonable number that handles most simple transactions. And then if you want something, if you want a little bit more complex transaction, you need to set a compute unit budget now. That's a very nice way of rolling in a significant change like this."

The gradual implementation of this change allows developers time to adjust their code and ensures that simpler transactions will still function without modification during the transition period.

Impact on the Validator Community

The compute unit optimization proposal has particularly positive implications for the Solana validator community. By enabling more densely packed blocks, validators stand to benefit from increased revenue.

"If you think of the latter as a main net and dev net and test net as big global computers, every byte counts. It's a resource constrained system. And the result of more densely packed blocks is that people running validators get more revenue, which is great," Mike explained.

This change aligns with Solana's ongoing efforts to create a sustainable and rewarding ecosystem for all participants, including the crucial validator operators who maintain the network's integrity and performance.

Community Engagement in Solana Improvement Proposals

The Solana team encourages active participation from the community in discussing and refining improvement proposals. Developers and stakeholders can access these proposals at solana.com/simd, which redirects to the appropriate GitHub repository.

"If you have any thoughts on this particular SIMD or any SIMD, feel free to jump on the GitHub," Nick urged. "And have the conversation. We've already got Caveman Loveboy out here posting some sort of points that he would like to bring up."

This open approach to development ensures that the Solana ecosystem evolves in a way that best serves its community and maintains its position as a leading blockchain platform.

Conclusion: Solana's Continuing Evolution

The latest Solana Changelog highlights the platform's commitment to education, efficiency, and community engagement. From the comprehensive professional education resources to the significant updates in RPC methods and compute unit optimization, Solana is taking substantial steps to enhance its ecosystem.

These developments underscore Solana's dedication to maintaining its position as a high-performance blockchain platform while also fostering a knowledgeable and engaged developer community. As the platform continues to evolve, it's clear that Solana is not just focusing on technical improvements but also on empowering its users and developers with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.

The upcoming Breakpoint conference is expected to bring even more exciting announcements and developments for the Solana ecosystem. As Nick and Mike concluded, "That's going to wrap it up for this episode of the Change Log. And we'll catch you at breakpoint. See you there."

For developers, validators, and Solana enthusiasts, these changes signal an exciting time of growth and optimization. By staying informed and engaged with these developments, the Solana community can continue to drive innovation and adoption in the blockchain space.

Facts + Figures

• Solana has launched a comprehensive professional education repository on GitHub, offering resources for one-hour, one-day, and four-day training courses.
• The Solana Foundation is updating all educational content previously hosted on Solana.com to ensure compatibility with current versions of tools and frameworks.
• Jimmy topped the Solana Stack Exchange leaderboard for the week, followed by contributors like Nara Vane, Mohammed Saeed, FE2, and John C. Fan.
• Solana RPC version 2.0 (Agave RPC 2.0) is being released, deprecating several RPC methods that developers need to update in their code.
• The SIMD-172 proposal aims to reduce the default compute unit per instruction from 200,000 to 20,000, with plans to eventually remove the default entirely.
• The compute unit optimization is expected to lead to more densely packed blocks and increased revenue for Solana validators.
• All Solana Improvement Documents (SIMDs) are accessible at solana.com/simd, redirecting to the GitHub repository for community discussion.
• The Solana team is encouraging active community participation in discussing and refining improvement proposals.
• The professional education initiative includes instructor notes, example code, and guides to run events for organizations wanting to train others on Solana.
• Some RPC providers are proactively notifying customers who are heavily using soon-to-be-deprecated RPC calls.

Questions Answered

What is Solana's new professional education initiative?

Solana has launched a comprehensive professional education repository on GitHub. This initiative provides resources for organizations and individuals to train others on Solana technology, including content, instructor notes, example code, and guides for running events. The repository offers materials for one-hour introductory sessions, one-day intensive workshops, and a full four-day training course that can be adapted into a 12-week program.

How is Solana updating its existing educational content?

Solana is undertaking a significant effort to update all its existing educational content. A team from Super Team, including contributors like Cythecota, Manuel, Sam, Woor, and Jimmy, is revising and modernizing course materials. This update ensures that all example code works with current versions of Solana tools and popular frameworks like React, keeping the content relevant in the fast-paced world of blockchain development.

What changes are coming with Solana RPC version 2.0?

Solana RPC version 2.0, specifically Agave RPC 2.0, is introducing several changes that developers need to be aware of. Many deprecated RPC methods are being replaced with new ones. For example, getConfirmedBlocks is now getBlocks, and getConfirmedTransaction is now getSignatureStatus. Developers need to update their code to ensure compatibility with these new methods. Some RPC providers are proactively notifying customers who are heavily using soon-to-be-deprecated calls.

What is the SIMD-172 proposal and how will it affect Solana?

SIMD-172 is a proposal to reduce the default compute unit (CU) per instruction on the Solana network. Currently, transactions without a specified compute budget default to 200,000 CUs per instruction. The proposal suggests reducing this to 20,000 CUs initially, and eventually removing the default entirely. This change aims to optimize network efficiency by creating more densely packed blocks, improving resource utilization, and potentially increasing revenue for validator operators.

How will the compute unit optimization affect Solana validators?

The compute unit optimization proposed in SIMD-172 is expected to have positive implications for Solana validators. By enabling more densely packed blocks, validators stand to benefit from increased revenue. This change aligns with Solana's efforts to create a sustainable and rewarding ecosystem for all participants, particularly the validator operators who maintain the network's integrity and performance.

How can developers participate in Solana improvement discussions?

Developers and stakeholders can access Solana Improvement Documents (SIMDs) at solana.com/simd, which redirects to the appropriate GitHub repository. The Solana team encourages active participation from the community in discussing and refining improvement proposals. Developers can share their thoughts, suggestions, and concerns directly on the GitHub platform, contributing to the evolution of the Solana ecosystem.

What resources are available for Solana developers seeking community support?

The Solana Stack Exchange continues to be a vibrant hub for knowledge-sharing and problem-solving within the community. Developers can ask questions, share insights, and contribute to discussions on this platform. Additionally, the Solana professional education repository on GitHub provides extensive resources for learning and teaching Solana development. Developers can also follow the Solana_devs account on Twitter for updates and engage with the broader community through various social media channels.