Solana Alpenglow Upgrade Slashes Finality to 150ms

Solana on-chain governance has approved the Solana Alpenglow upgrade, adopting new Votor and Rotor consensus modules. The Solana Alpenglow upgrade replaces TowerBFT and proof-of-history, cutting Layer 1 transaction finality from over 12 seconds to 150 milliseconds—a 100× speed boost. With over 98% support and 52% validator turnout, the upgrade achieves Web2-level responsiveness. The Solana Foundation expects this performance leap to unlock high-speed DeFi and DApp use cases, reinforcing SOL’s on-chain utility and potentially boosting trader demand.
Bullish
The Solana Alpenglow upgrade is bullish for SOL. In the short term, the dramatic 100× speed boost and Web2-level finality can drive renewed trader interest, potentially increasing buy-side pressure as performance improvements often coincide with positive market sentiment. Over the long term, enhanced throughput and reduced latency will attract more high-frequency DeFi and DApp projects, strengthening network utility and token demand, which historically supports price appreciation. Improved consensus protocols also bolster network security and governance credibility, further instilling investor confidence.