Solana's Latest Updates: Partitioned Epoch Rewards, Anchor CI, and the Road to 2.0

The Solana ecosystem continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with new developments and improvements being introduced regularly. In this article, we'll dive deep into the latest updates from the Solana Changelog, covering a range of topics from partitioned epoch rewards to the upcoming Solana 2.0 release. These changes demonstrate Solana's commitment to enhancing performance, developer experience, and overall ecosystem growth.

Metaplex Sea Hack Hackathon

The Solana community is buzzing with excitement as the Metaplex Sea Hack Hackathon draws to a close. This month-long event has been a showcase for innovation in the realm of compressed NFTs, with multiple tracks designed to push the boundaries of what's possible on the Solana blockchain.

Nick, one of the hosts of the Solana Changelog, shared his enthusiasm for the event, mentioning his role as a judge for the dev tooling track. This hackathon has been an excellent opportunity for developers to showcase their skills and contribute to the growing ecosystem of compressed NFT technologies on Solana.

For participants and observers alike, the hosts emphasized the importance of sharing projects on Twitter. This not only increases visibility but can also potentially influence the judging process by garnering community support. As the hackathon concludes, we can expect to see a wave of innovative projects that leverage Solana's unique capabilities in the NFT space.

SIMD-118: Partitioned Epoch Rewards

One of the most significant updates discussed in the changelog is the revision to SIMD-118, which focuses on partitioned epoch rewards. This update builds upon the foundation laid by the earlier SIMD-15, reflecting the ongoing refinement of Solana's core protocols.

The ANZA team has made substantial updates to the design, effectively repurposing it with a new approach to implementation. This revision demonstrates Solana's commitment to iterative improvement and willingness to revisit and refine core concepts based on new insights and technological advancements.

For developers and stakeholders interested in the technical details of these changes, the full SIMD-118 document is available for review. This update is likely to have significant implications for how rewards are distributed within the Solana ecosystem, potentially improving efficiency and fairness in the network's economic model.

Solana 2.0: A Major Milestone Approaches

Perhaps the most exciting news from the changelog is the preparation for Solana's upgrade to version 2.0. This significant version bump signifies more than just a number change – it represents a major evolution of the Solana platform.

One of the key aspects of this upgrade is the removal of deprecated code and methods from the 1.0 versions of various SDKs. This cleanup will result in a leaner, more efficient codebase, reducing complexity and potential points of failure. For developers, this means adapting to new, improved methods and potentially updating existing projects to ensure compatibility with the 2.0 release.

The hosts mentioned that a comprehensive list of deprecated functions and information will be provided in an upcoming changelog. This proactive communication will be crucial for a smooth transition to 2.0, allowing developers ample time to prepare their projects for the update.

CI Improvements for a More Robust Ecosystem

An important aspect of the 2.0 upgrade is the planned separation of CI (Continuous Integration) processes for different parts of the Solana monorepo. This change will allow for more flexible and accelerated release schedules, particularly for smaller SDKs that don't need to be tied to the validator's release cycle.

This decoupling of release schedules is a significant improvement for the Solana development ecosystem. It will enable faster iteration and deployment of updates for specific components, without being constrained by the more rigorous release process required for the core validator software.

Performance Enhancements: Get Token Largest Accounts

The Solana team continues to focus on performance improvements, with one notable update being the optimization of the get_token_largest_accounts method. This RPC method, which retrieves the largest accounts for any given token mint, has received a significant speed boost.

Originally developed by KV, this optimization has been broken down into multiple PRs and integrated into the main codebase. The improvement will be particularly beneficial for applications that need to quickly retrieve information about token holders, such as analytics platforms or governance systems.

Anchor CI and Downstream Project Checks

The Solana team has implemented updates to the Anchor downstream project CI within the Solana repository. This enhancement is crucial for maintaining compatibility and preventing breaking changes in the ecosystem.

Every time a change is made to the Solana monorepo, the CI now performs checks on downstream projects like Anchor to ensure continued compatibility. This proactive approach helps maintain a smooth developer experience by catching potential issues early in the development process.

Interestingly, it was revealed that this CI process extends beyond just Anchor. Other major projects in the Solana ecosystem, including OpenBook and Metaplex, are also part of these downstream checks. This comprehensive testing strategy underscores Solana's commitment to maintaining a stable and reliable platform for developers.

CLI Improvements: Program Set Upgrade Authority Sign-Only

The Solana CLI has received a useful addition with the program set-upgrade-authority sign-only command. This new feature allows developers to sign transactions for setting upgrade authority offline, enhancing security for sensitive operations.

By enabling offline signing, developers can prepare transactions on air-gapped systems before transmitting them through online devices. This separation adds an extra layer of security, particularly valuable for managing high-value or critical programs on the Solana network.

Zero-Copy Optimizations

Continuing the theme of performance improvements, the changelog highlighted a refactoring that optimizes account copying. By replacing certain copy operations with reference passing, this change effectively implements a "zero-copy" approach for some account operations.

This optimization is expected to yield performance benefits across all accounts on the Solana network. Such low-level improvements, while often invisible to end-users, contribute to the overall efficiency and scalability of the Solana blockchain.

BPF Loader Upgradeable: Exporting Helper Functions

The BPF Loader Upgradeable module has seen an update with the export of the get_program_data_address helper function. This change is part of a larger initiative to transition Solana's core programs from native implementations to BPF programs.

This export is a preliminary step towards the goal of simplifying Solana's core architecture. By moving more functionality into BPF programs, Solana aims to create a more uniform and easily upgradeable system. The hosts mentioned that this transition is expected to be completed later in the year, promising simpler upgrade paths and more consistent behavior across different types of programs on the network.

Unified Wallet Kit: Enhancing Developer Experience

The changelog highlighted an exciting new project from the Jupiter team: the Unified Wallet Kit. This toolkit builds upon the existing Wallet Adapter standard created by Solana Labs and the Onza team, offering enhanced flexibility and customization options for developers.

Key features of the Unified Wallet Kit include:

1. Full localization support, addressing a long-standing request from the community
2. Greater flexibility in displaying supported wallets within applications
3. Improved handling of various wallet-related scenarios

This project exemplifies the collaborative nature of the Solana ecosystem, where teams build upon each other's work to create better tools and experiences for developers and users alike.

Stack Exchange Updates and Moderator Election

The Solana Stack Exchange continues to be a valuable resource for the community, with active participation from developers and enthusiasts. The changelog highlighted the top contributors for the week, giving a shoutout to users like White Seal and Sol Andy for their significant contributions to the platform.

Of particular note is the ongoing moderator election for the Solana Stack Exchange. This process will bring new moderators on board to help manage and improve the platform. The hosts encouraged eligible community members to participate in the voting process, emphasizing the importance of community governance in maintaining the quality and relevance of this crucial knowledge-sharing resource.

Conclusion: Solana's Steady March Towards Innovation

The latest Solana Changelog paints a picture of a blockchain ecosystem in constant evolution. From core protocol improvements like partitioned epoch rewards to developer-focused enhancements such as the Unified Wallet Kit, Solana continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in the blockchain space.

The upcoming transition to Solana 2.0 marks a significant milestone, promising a leaner, more efficient platform that will serve as the foundation for future innovations. With ongoing performance optimizations, improved development tools, and a thriving community contributing through hackathons and knowledge-sharing platforms, Solana is well-positioned to maintain its status as a leading blockchain for high-performance applications.

As the ecosystem grows and matures, these regular updates and improvements demonstrate Solana's commitment to providing a robust, scalable, and developer-friendly platform. The future looks bright for Solana and its community, with each changelog bringing us one step closer to a more decentralized and efficient digital future.

Facts + Figures

• The Metaplex Sea Hack Hackathon, a month-long event focused on compressed NFTs, is coming to a close.
• SIMD-118, an update to the partitioned epoch rewards design, has been released, building upon the earlier SIMD-15.
• Solana is preparing for a major upgrade to version 2.0, which will remove deprecated code and methods from 1.0 SDKs.
• The get_token_largest_accounts RPC method has received a significant speed improvement.
• Anchor CI now includes checks for downstream projects like OpenBook and Metaplex to ensure compatibility.
• A new CLI command program set-upgrade-authority sign-only has been added for offline transaction signing.
• Zero-copy optimizations have been implemented for some account operations, improving overall network efficiency.
• The BPF Loader Upgradeable module now exports the get_program_data_address helper function.
• Jupiter team has released the Unified Wallet Kit, offering enhanced flexibility and full localization support.
• A moderator election is currently underway for the Solana Stack Exchange.
• The transition of Solana's core programs from native to BPF implementations is expected to be completed later this year.
• The Solana team encourages community members to contribute to performance improvements by creating issues and submitting PRs.

Questions Answered

What is SIMD-118?

SIMD-118 is an updated design document for partitioned epoch rewards in Solana. It builds upon and revises the earlier SIMD-15, incorporating new insights and implementation strategies developed by the ANZA team. This document outlines changes to how rewards are distributed within the Solana network, aiming to improve efficiency and fairness in the ecosystem's economic model.

What changes are coming with Solana 2.0?

Solana 2.0 represents a major upgrade to the platform, focusing on removing deprecated code and methods from the 1.0 versions of various SDKs. This update will result in a leaner, more efficient codebase and potentially require developers to adapt their projects to new, improved methods. Additionally, Solana 2.0 will introduce separated CI processes for different parts of the monorepo, allowing for more flexible and accelerated release schedules for smaller SDKs.

How is the Anchor CI being improved?

The Anchor CI is being enhanced to include checks for downstream projects within the Solana ecosystem. Every time a change is made to the Solana monorepo, the CI now performs compatibility checks on projects like Anchor, OpenBook, and Metaplex. This proactive approach helps prevent breaking changes and maintains a smooth developer experience by catching potential issues early in the development process.

What is the Unified Wallet Kit?

The Unified Wallet Kit is a new project developed by the Jupiter team that builds upon the existing Wallet Adapter standard. It offers enhanced flexibility and customization options for developers implementing wallet functionality in their applications. Key features include full localization support, greater flexibility in displaying supported wallets, and improved handling of various wallet-related scenarios, addressing long-standing requests from the Solana developer community.

What performance improvements have been made to Solana recently?

Recent performance improvements to Solana include a significant speed boost to the get_token_largest_accounts RPC method, which retrieves the largest accounts for any given token mint. Additionally, zero-copy optimizations have been implemented for some account operations, reducing unnecessary data copying and improving overall network efficiency. These low-level improvements contribute to the scalability and performance of the Solana blockchain.

How is Solana improving its core architecture?

Solana is transitioning its core programs from native implementations to BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter) programs. This transition, expected to be completed later this year, aims to create a more uniform and easily upgradeable system. As part of this process, helper functions like get_program_data_address are being exported from the BPF Loader Upgradeable module, simplifying the development and management of upgradeable programs on the network.

What is the significance of the Solana Stack Exchange moderator election?

The Solana Stack Exchange moderator election is an important step in community governance for this crucial knowledge-sharing platform. New moderators will help manage and improve the platform, ensuring its continued relevance and quality. The election process allows community members to have a say in who will guide the development of this valuable resource, reinforcing the collaborative nature of the Solana ecosystem.