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Solana more than triples transaction size limit with mainnet upgrade
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- DeepHorus
Solana has more than tripled its maximum transaction size through a mainnet upgrade, a change designed to support more complex onchain operations. The network raised the limit from 1,232 bytes to 4,096 bytes, effective Tuesday at the start of epoch 1,035 around 1:00 am UTC, according to blockchain data shared by the Solana Foundation. The upgrade gives developers significantly more room to fit advanced workloads into a single transaction.
The upgrade introduces the v1 transaction format, which maintains full backward compatibility with legacy transactions. Existing transaction formats continue working for applications and wallet providers, but protocols that want to benefit from the size increase need to update to v1 transactions. This approach allows the network to evolve without disrupting current users.
The larger transaction size enables zero-knowledge proofs, transactions requiring multiple signatures, and new onchain signature schemes. A Solana Foundation spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the upgrade mainly aims to help developers "do more" with such applications. Previously, these workloads often could not fit inside a single transaction.
The change is part of a broader push to improve Solana's performance. In August, the network reduced its slot time from 400 milliseconds to 350 milliseconds. In June, the Solana Foundation shared plans to reduce slot times from 400ms to 200ms, arguing that this would improve latency and accelerate confirmations.
The foundation emphasized that the upgrade is backward compatible, giving developers and wallet providers time to adapt. Validators also approved on Aug. 28 a proposal to double the network's annual disinflation rate, reducing future issuance of SOL. These moves reflect a coordinated effort to balance network efficiency with token economics.
With the new transaction format live, Solana is positioned to unlock workloads that were previously impractical. Further slot-time reductions and tokenomics changes could continue to shape the network's roadmap. Developers who adopt v1 transactions will be the first to benefit from the expanded capacity.
