Is Solana centralized? A security patch ignites controversy.
As per the latest news in cryptocurrency industry, Solana Foundation’s executive director, Dan Albert recently addressed concerns about the Solana network’s decentralization, following recent claims suggesting otherwise.
These concerns were sparked by a critical vulnerability disclosed on August 9 by Solana validator Laine, which they believed could have potentially halted the network. To prevent this, validators coordinated a patch behind the scenes, fearing that an attacker could reverse-engineer it and bring down the network if the vulnerability were leaked.
This quiet coordination led some to question the network’s decentralization.
During the Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2024 roundtable, Albert clarified that the patch was necessary to address a security vulnerability that “could have potentially caused a liveness issue on Solana mainnet.”
However, he argued that the ability to coordinate a fix does not equate to centralization.
Albert emphasized:
Regarding your question of decentralization, I think it’s important not to confuse centralization with the ability to coordinate. There are 1,500 block-producing nodes all over the world that are operated by almost as many individuals.”
While he acknowledged that some companies run multiple nodes, he explained that the Solana Foundation’s ability to communicate with these node operators stems from their active involvement in the community and ecosystem. He also stressed that these validators have the autonomy to decide which software to run, pointing out that the patch was open-source and that they have never requested anyone to use closed-source binaries.
Albert reiterated that the ability to communicate with some validators on a voluntary basis should be distinct from centralization.
This is not the first time Solana has faced accusations of centralization. In 2022, a community member claimed that the network was centralized, with a few individuals possessing the power to shut it down and restart it, likening Solana to “another version of the traditional system.”
However, Solana-based decentralized finance (DeFi) firm Unstoppable Finance countered these accusations, arguing that Solana’s validator count is higher than that of other blockchains, making it more decentralized than some believe.
