Solana validator count drops 68% as node costs squeeze smaller operators

Solana’s validator count has dropped 68% since 2023 as rising costs and zero-fee competition push smaller node operators offline.

Solana’s validator count has fallen sharply over the past three years, raising concerns about the blockchain network’s decentralization as the economics of running a node squeeze out smaller operators.

The number of Solana validators fell 68% from a peak of 2,560 validator nodes in March 2023 to 795 as of Wednesday, according to Solanacompass data.

Validators are responsible for adding new blocks and verifying transactions in proposed blocks, playing a vital role in the operations of the decentralized ledger.

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