Solana’s 'Alpenglow' upgrade could arrive next quarter, co-founder Yakovenko says

Tech Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Solana’s 'Alpenglow' upgrade could arrive next quarter, co-founder Yakovenko says Speaking at Consensus Miami 2026, the Solana co-founder said that he is excited to see 'Alpenglow' upgrade go live later this year, which could come as early as next quarter. By Margaux Nijkerk | Edited by Stephen Alpher May 5, 2026, 5:24 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko @ Consensus Miami 2026 (CoinDesk) What to know : Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said the upcoming Alpenglow upgrade, expected as soon as next quarter, marks a key step toward improving the network’s speed, reliability and transaction finality. The upgrade aims to bring transaction confirmation closer to the “speed of light,” strengthening Solana’s positioning as infrastructure for high-performance, global-scale financial applications. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said a major upgrade to the network, dubbed Alpenglow, is expected to arrive as soon as this year, potentially within the next quarter, marking what he described as a pivotal step in the blockchain’s technical evolution. “So the Alpenglow release is basically due sometime this year, I think next quarter,” Yakovenko said during a fireside panel at Consensus Miami 2026. “That, to me, is this exciting step in the evolution of the protocol.” In simple terms, Alpenglow is about making Solana faster , more predictable and more secure at its core. Blockchains like Solana rely on a network of computers to agree on the order of transactions. Today, that process can introduce delays or uncertainty depending on network conditions. Alpenglow aims to tighten those guarantees. Yakovenko described a system where transaction confirmations approach the physical limits of how fast information can travel, essentially, near the “speed of light” around the globe. For users and developers, that means quicker finality (knowing a transaction is permanently settled) and a more reliable foundation for building applications. He framed the release of Alpenglow as a transition from Solana’s early innovations to a more mature phase focused on guarantees around performance and reliability. The upgrade builds on Solana’s original design, which emphasized high throughput, like the ability to handle large volumes of transactions, but shifts focus toward consistency and timing precision. That matters for financial applications, where milliseconds can affect trading, payments or other time-sensitive activity. If successful, Alpenglow could strengthen Solana’s pitch as infrastructure for global-scale financial systems, where both speed and certainty are critical. “That, to me, is this exciting step in the evolution of the protocol,” Yakovenko said. Read more: Solana Set for Major Overhaul After 98% Votes to Approve Historic 'Alpenglow' Upgrade Solana News Consensus Miami 2026 More For You Jito Labs launches self-custody trading tool as activity heats up on Solana By Margaux Nijkerk | Edited by Nikhilesh De 2 hours ago JTX is the company’s first product built specifically for traders. It allows users to trade tokens on Solana while maintaining self-custody. What to know : Jito Labs has launched JTX, a self-custodial trading platform on Solana that aims to offer centralized exchange-style speed and advanced trading tools while letting users keep control of their funds. The move targets more sophisticated traders still using centralized platforms, with plans to expand beyond spot trading into products like... Read full story Latest Crypto News Western Union’s Solana-based stablecoin could reshape its payment model, analyst says 2 minutes ago Figure targets Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in mortgage push, citing massive cost cuts for borrowers 13 minutes ago Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says Clarity better than chaos as Senate hits key moment 56 minutes ago Wall Street warns human-built markets can’t keep up with machine-speed trading 2 hours ago Crypto's value is from being outside regulatory apparatus, says Arthur Hayes 2 hours ago From bitcoin mining to the Hill: AIP’s new fellow brings hands-on crypto experience to D.C. 2 hours ago Top Stories Consensus Miami Day 1: Real-time coverage and highlights from on the ground 3 hours ago Coinbase cuts 14% of staff as AI reshapes how crypto companies operate 5 hours ago Crypto.com’s high-rolling head of marketing to leave after almost six years 3 hours ago Crypto platform Bullish to buy Equiniti for $4.2 billion, building tokenized securities infrastructure 6 hours ago Bitcoin crosses $81,000, ETH, SOL, DOGE steady as options desks bid on further price jump 11 hours ago Bitcoin used to hate inflation. Now it might be the opposite 10 hours ago