Solana Proposes 66% Block Limit Increase to 100 Million Compute Units to Boost Network Capacity

Solana developers have proposed a major upgrade to enhance the network’s scalability, seeking to raise the per-block compute limit by 66% — from 60 million to 100 million compute units (CUs). Detailed in the recently published SIMD-0286 proposal, the initiative is designed to meet rising demand from DeFi, NFT minting, and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), reinforcing Solana’s position as a high-performance blockchain.

Enhancing Transaction Throughput

The proposal aims to increase the compute capacity of each 400-millisecond block, allowing validators to process more complex and resource-intensive transactions. It follows a previous upgrade on July 23, 2025, when the limit was increased from 50 million to 60 million CUs via SIMD-0256. That change led to throughput reaching approximately 1,700 transactions per second (TPS) during peak traffic hours, significantly lowering transaction fees and improving user experience.

Jito Labs CEO Lucas Bruder wrote in the SIMD‑0286 proposal: “This proposal aims a substantial increase in block limits to 100 million CUs to provide additional capacity to the network.”

Raising the compute limit is expected to benefit high-intensity applications such as orderbook-based decentralized exchanges and maximum extractable value (MEV) auctions. It also aims to reduce the frequency of failed transactions caused by “compute budget exceeded” errors.

Strategic Infrastructure Upgrades

The block limit proposal is part of a broader push to enhance Solana’s infrastructure. Jito Labs is preparing to launch the Block Assembly Marketplace (BAM) testnet within the next three months. BAM is expected to streamline block production and improve overall network efficiency.

Another major component is the DoubleZero peer-to-peer fiber network, which currently operates on testnet with over 100 validators and 3% of Solana’s mainnet stake. By bypassing the public internet, DoubleZero aims to reduce latency and accelerate transaction confirmations. A mainnet rollout is targeted for mid-September 2025.

Together, these upgrades align with Solana’s long-term vision to become the foundational infrastructure for global Internet Capital Markets (ICM) by 2027.

Akshay—former Solana Foundation core contributor—coined the term “Internet Capital Markets” and framed the vision in the roadmap: “ICMs refers to a ‘globally accessible ledger where entities, currencies, and cultures are tokenized,’ allowing ‘anyone with an internet connection access to capital markets.’”

Balancing Performance with Network Stability

Despite the potential performance benefits, the proposal raises questions about validator requirements and system robustness. Increasing the compute ceiling may place greater demands on validator hardware, possibly raising barriers for participation.

To address these risks, some developers have suggested implementing static code analysis or asynchronous execution models to strike a balance between flexibility and security, while mitigating risks such as transaction spam.

SIMD-0286 is currently open for public comment on the Solana Foundation’s GitHub page. If approved, the compute limit upgrade will be included in a future software release and activated in a subsequent epoch once validator consensus is reached.

While the announcement did not trigger an immediate price surge, with SOL remaining relatively stable around the $180 mark, short-term market volatility may have dampened the impact of the news. Nonetheless, the proposed 66% increase in block compute limits represents a significant long-term catalyst. By expanding network capacity, the upgrade is expected to support the sustained growth of Solana’s ecosystem over time.