DoubleZero

DoubleZero is a decentralized high-performance network protocol that routes validator and RPC traffic over a global mesh of private fiber links rather than the public internet, delivering lower latency, higher bandwidth, and hardware-level spam filtering to blockchain infrastructure operators.

The Problem

High-throughput blockchains like Solana push the boundaries of what standard internet infrastructure can support. Public internet routing introduces unpredictable latency variation (jitter), bandwidth ceilings, and forces each validator to independently handle vast volumes of spam and duplicate transactions. At scale, these friction points become hard ceilings on network performance — and no software-only fix can fully compensate for underlying physical infrastructure constraints.

How It Works

DoubleZero operates on a two-ring concentric architecture that separates inbound spam filtering from outbound consensus communication.

The outer ring interfaces with the public internet using specialized FPGA (field-programmable gate array) hardware deployed at network edges. These devices perform transaction deduplication, signature verification, and DDoS mitigation before any packet reaches a validator's network interface. FPGAs are purpose-built for this task: the DoubleZero documentation describes them handling "up to a million transactions per second with zero latency" for filtering operations. The logic is open-source for independent verification, and the network publishes public statistics on dropped transactions.

The inner ring consists of dedicated fiber-optic links contributed by independent network operators. Traffic that clears the outer filter travels across these private routes, avoiding public internet hops entirely. Routing is optimized for each destination, reducing both absolute latency and jitter — the latency variation that disrupts time-sensitive consensus messaging.

Geographic hubs called DoubleZero Exchange Points (DZXs) connect multiple data centers within metro areas, functioning analogously to internet exchange points. Validators and RPCs connect to the nearest DZX via GRE tunneling built into the kernel. The connection process is on-chain: a CLI tool submits the operator's public IP via a Solana transaction, triggering an activator service that allocates tunnel IDs and configures the network devices automatically.

Service Level Agreements between contributors and users are encoded in on-chain smart contracts that specify endpoint locations, bandwidth commitments, latency targets, and MTU size. The contracts continuously monitor link compliance and calculate dynamic pricing based on network demand. Underperforming links are penalized; high performers are rewarded — creating a verifiable, incentivized, and decentralized routing layer.

Network Coverage and Performance

At mainnet-beta launch on October 2, 2025, the DoubleZero network spanned more than 70 high-performance fiber links across over 25 global locations. The testnet had previously validated the architecture across seven cities with concentrated Solana stake: Singapore, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, London, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.

Independent analysis found DoubleZero delivers shreds an average of 6 milliseconds faster than conventional routing. Under congested conditions the advantage widens substantially: 20 milliseconds faster in Europe, 80 milliseconds in the U.S., and more than 100 milliseconds in Asia. At mainnet launch, 386 Solana validators — representing approximately 22% of total staked SOL — had connected to the network.

Fiber links are contributed by a growing set of operators including Jump Crypto, RockawayX, Distributed Global, Galaxy, Jito, Cumberland/DRW, Latitude, and Teraswitch.

Tokens and Assets

DoubleZero has two assets tracked on the Solana network.

2Z ([[TOKEN:J6pQQ3FAcJQeWPPGppWRb4nM8jU3wLyYbRrLh7feMfvd]]) is the native utility token, built on Solana. Total supply is 10 billion tokens. Validators pay for network access via a seat fee model: 5% of validator operations revenue (inflation rewards and block rewards, excluding MEV) denominates access fees. A validator sale of up to 1.5% of total supply (150 million 2Z) was conducted via CoinList. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a no-action letter to DoubleZero ahead of the mainnet launch, enabling the token's public debut alongside the network.

dzSOL ([[TOKEN:Gekfj7SL2fVpTDxJZmeC46cTYxinjB6gkAnb6EGT6mnn]]) is DoubleZero Staked SOL, a yield-bearing receipt token issued for SOL staked into the DoubleZero ecosystem.

Team and Background

DoubleZero was founded in November 2024 by Austin Federa, Andrew McConnell, and Matteo Ward, operating through Malbec Labs as the core protocol contributor alongside Jump Crypto.

Austin Federa (CEO) previously served as Head of Strategy at the Solana Foundation, where he was closely involved in the ecosystem's growth and validator community development. Andrew McConnell (CTO) previously led U.S. trading infrastructure at Jump Crypto, bringing deep expertise in the low-latency networking demands of high-frequency trading systems. Matteo Ward (Co-Founder) was formerly CEO of Neutrona Networks, a fiber-optic infrastructure company, providing the physical network expertise underlying the protocol's design.

In March 2025, DoubleZero Foundation closed a $28 million token round at a $400 million valuation, co-led by Multicoin Capital and Dragonfly Capital. Additional investors included Foundation Capital, Reciprocal Ventures, DBA, Borderless Capital, Superscrypt, and Frictionless. Proceeds were directed toward developer relations, business development, and advancing the network to mainnet.

Solana Ecosystem Fit

DoubleZero is built with Solana's specific networking requirements in mind. The protocol includes multicast support for Solana's shred streaming via the Turbine tree, and state propagation optimization for the gossip layer. Initial testnet deployments included Agave and Frankendancer validator implementations. The project explicitly frames its infrastructure as a prerequisite for Solana's long-term goal of processing one million transactions per second — throughput targets that require the physical networking layer, not just software, to keep pace.

While the current deployment focuses on Solana validators and RPC providers, the protocol is described as blockchain-agnostic by design. The roadmap targets expansion to other high-throughput Layer 1 chains, Layer 2 sequencers, MEV infrastructure, and non-blockchain applications including CDNs, gaming backends, and enterprise infrastructure. The seat fee model and on-chain SLA framework are designed to generalize beyond any single chain's economics.