Solana block capacity rises 20% with plans to double by year-end

The Solana network has increased its Solana block capacity by 20%, raising the limit to 60 million compute units (CU) this week—with proposals in place to potentially double that figure before 2024 ends.

The upgrade comes as Ethereum also implements its own gas limit adjustments, signaling a broader race among blockchain platforms to enhance throughput and user experience.

Solana block capacity expansion targets congestion relief

The latest Solana block capacity increase—from 48 million to 60 million CUs—allows more transactions per block, reducing network strain during peak activity. Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Solana infrastructure firm Helius, confirmed the update on X (formerly Twitter), stating:

“Lower fees, better developer flexibility, and smoother user experiences are immediate benefits. This is a response to the bottlenecks we saw earlier this year.”

In January, Solana faced severe congestion as meme coin trading spiked, including during the launch of Trump-themed tokens. The Solana block capacity upgrade aims to prevent similar disruptions.

Proposal seeks 100M CU limit for Solana block capacity

A GitHub proposal by Lucas Bruder, CEO of Jito Labs, suggests pushing the Solana block capacity further to 100 million CUs. Bruder argues that current hardware advancements justify the leap:

“Original limits were conservative to ensure network sync. Today’s validators can handle far heavier loads without delays.”

Mumtaz supports the idea, noting that doubling the Solana block capacity is “achievable” by Q4 2024. If implemented, the change would position Solana as one of the highest-throughput Layer 1 blockchains.

Market reacts: SOL price surges as firms stockpile tokens

Solana’s native token, SOL, briefly crossed $200 this week amid the Solana block capacity news, though it settled at $191 at press time. Institutional interest is growing:

• DeFi Development Corp now holds nearly 1 million SOL in its treasury.

• Bit Mining announced a $300 million fundraising effort to build a Solana-focused treasury.

“Scalability upgrades directly impact investor confidence,” said Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital. “Solana’s tech improvements are translating into market momentum.”

Ethereum follows suit with gas limit hike

While Solana block capacity dominates discussions, Ethereum quietly raised its gas limit to 45 million units—its first major adjustment since February. The parallel moves highlight intensifying competition for developers and users.

Key point:

• Solana block capacity now at 60M CUs, up 20%.

• Proposal to reach 100M CUs could finalize in 2024.

• SOL price rallied 12% this week amid upgrades.

• Ethereum’s gas limit rise mirrors scalability trends.