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Crypto · October 22, 2026

Solana’s biggest network change since 2020 is live. Here’s how users benefit

1 sources →

Solana has successfully activated the Alpenglow upgrade on its mainnet, marking the network's most significant consensus change since its launch in 2020. Developed by core engineering team Anza, the upgrade replaces the original TowerBFT protocol with a new voting system designed to reduce transaction finality from approximately 12.8 seconds to about 150 milliseconds. While technical specifications such as finality speed and the removal of validator votes from blockchain records are highlighted, user-facing elements like wallets, fees, and applications are reported to remain unchanged.

Only one outlet has covered this so far. CadNews compares coverage once more outlets report it.

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Hype check

How the hype check works

Confirmed · 2

Backed by filings, on-chain data, official statements or several independent publishers.

  • Alpenglow upgrade replaced TowerBFT on the live mainnet (Anza)
  • Transition occurred at slot 459,653,000 (Anza)

Claimed · 2

Said by a company, project or person; not yet independently confirmed.

  • Transaction finality is reduced to approximately 150 milliseconds (Anza)
  • Alpenglow is the most ambitious upgrade since Ethereum's Merge (Anza / Decrypt)

Speculation · 1

Price talk, forecasts or unnamed sources, quoted as someone else's view.

  • Future Quantumglow version will address post-quantum security (Decrypt reports Anza's plans)

Reported by multiple outlets

  • The Alpenglow upgrade is live on Solana's mainnet.
  • Alpenglow replaces the TowerBFT consensus protocol used since 2020.
  • The upgrade targets a reduction in transaction finality to approximately 150 milliseconds.
  • The core developer team responsible for the upgrade is Anza.
  • The transition was performed on the running network while carrying the existing ledger forward.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Validator votes are no longer recorded as blockchain transactions, which may lower visible transaction totals on dashboards, according to CoinDesk.
  • The transition occurred specifically at slot 459,653,000 around 14:00 UTC, according to Decrypt.
  • Anza plans a future post-quantum version of the protocol called Quantumglow, according to Decrypt.
  • Existing wallets and fees are expected to remain unchanged, according to CoinDesk.

About these outlets

CadNews does not determine absolute truth or endorse political viewpoints. It compares publicly available reporting, identifies shared facts, highlights framing differences, and flags uncertainty.