The Solana Foundation has introduced a new validator onboarding policy aimed at strengthening decentralization and reducing reliance on foundation-based staking. Effective immediately, the foundation will implement a one-in, three-out policy for its mainnet delegation program, removing three existing validators for every new one added.
The update was announced in a Discord message by a representative of the validator community, reflecting Solana’s broader effort to encourage long-term sustainability and community-driven growth within the blockchain network.
New Offboarding Rule Targets Low-Stake Validators
Under the new guidelines, validators who have received a delegation from the Solana Foundation for at least 18 months and hold fewer than 1,000 SOL in external stake will be removed from the program. This change applies exclusively to the Solana Foundation Delegation Program (SFDP) on mainnet and is intended to gradually phase out validators heavily reliant on foundation support.
This approach, the foundation says, is intended to incentivize validators to attract stake independently from community members and institutional supporters. By reducing dependence on centralized stake allocation, the policy aims to shift network governance closer to a decentralized model.
Foundation Aims to Reinforce Network Health
The Solana Foundation stated that the move is part of an ongoing strategy to optimize network efficiency and ensure long-term security. A key objective is to decrease the number of validators solely supported by the foundation, thereby improving the distribution of stakes and reducing risks tied to central points of failure.
Additionally, the policy is structured to reward validators who contribute to the network through external stake acquisition and ecosystem engagement. The foundation emphasized the importance of validators who show initiative beyond internal support mechanisms.
While the decision is expected to impact some existing validators, it reflects a larger shift toward performance- and community-based participation in the validator ecosystem. The policy change also addresses concerns within the broader blockchain industry over excessive influence by foundation delegations, which can undermine the principles of decentralization.
Solana, a high-performance blockchain known for its speed and low fees, has faced scrutiny over centralization issues. The foundation’s latest steps suggest a renewed focus on redistributing control and encouraging a more diverse validator landscape as the ecosystem matures.
