- Solana developers have put forth a new proposal that introduces a lattice-based hashing system to address the “state growth problem,” allowing the blockchain to scale to billions of user accounts.
- This comes after Solana developers introduced the Solana Winternitz Vault, a quantum-resistant storage solution designed to protect users’ funds using a well-established cryptographic technique.
Solana, one of the leading layer-1 blockchains renowned for its high throughput and low transaction costs, is proactively solving its scalability challenges. Recently, the network’s developers posted a proposal on GitHub titled SIMD-0215: Accounts Lattice Hash. This proposal introduces an innovative solution, the Lattice Hashing System, which is designed to tackle these scalability issues head-on.
The Lattice Hashing System uses a homomorphic hashing function specifically designed to compute both individual account hashes and the hash of all accounts. Initial tests have shown encouraging results for this new system.
The upgrade will be rolled out via Solana’s formal improvement process, with activation taking place gradually through validator voting, ensuring a structured and community-driven implementation.
The Proposed Solution: Efficient Account Updates
Crypto research firm Republik Labs shared insights on X on the new proposal. The proposal addresses a significant challenge that many blockchains, including Solana, face: the need to keep track of every user account. Currently, Solana must recalculate the state of all accounts regularly, and as the number of users increases, this process becomes slower and more difficult to manage, limiting the network’s ability to scale effectively.
Solana’s proposal offers a solution to this issue by changing the way account states are updated. The proposal recommends providing a mechanism for nodes to opt in and begin computing the initial Accounts Lattice Hash and updating each block before the feature is fully activated. This early preparation will help avoid a cluster-wide pause when the feature is fully implemented, ensuring smoother transitions and reduced disruptions for the network.
In addition to improving scalability, Solana has introduced the Winternitz Vault, an optional security feature that safeguards user funds against future threats, such as quantum computing. This security measure works by generating new cryptographic keys for each transaction, similar to receiving a new PIN for every purchase. By doing so, Solana aims to enhance the protection of its users’ funds against evolving security risks.
Solana’s advancements in scalability and security are pivotal, as blockchain is experiencing substantial growth in the DeFi space. According to DefiLlama, the Solana network has processed over $113 billion in trading volume across its DEXs, surpassing the Ethereum mainnet, which has seen $78.9 billion. This achievement highlights Solana’s growing prominence in decentralized finance and reinforces its position as a strong contender in the DeFi ecosystem.
Since the start of 2025, SOL has been experiencing a strong upward momentum, gaining 12.50% over the past week. Currently trading around $217, the asset is seeing a surge in trading activity, with its volume rising by 27% in the last 24 hours, now settling at $3.18 billion.
