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Solana Validator Nodes Decrease Sharply by 68% in Three Years, Small Nodes Squeezed Out by Costs
Summary: According to Cointelegraph, data shows that the number of validator nodes on the Solana network has dropped significantly from a high of 2560 in March 2023 to the current 795, a decrease of 68%, raising concerns about the decentralization of the network. Industry insiders point out that in addition to clearing zombie nodes, the core ...
According to Cointelegraph, data shows that the number of validator nodes on the Solana network has dropped significantly from a high of 2560 in March 2023 to the current 795, a decrease of 68%, raising concerns about the decentralization of the network.
Industry insiders point out that in addition to clearing zombie nodes, the core reason is the continuous increase in operating costs + competition from large nodes with zero fees, which is systematically squeezing out small validators. An independent validator node operator stated that many small nodes are not bearish on Solana, but the economic model is unsustainable: without economic viability, decentralization becomes a charitable act.
At the same time, Solana's Nakamoto Coefficient has dropped from 31 to 20, a decrease of about 35%, indicating that the control of staked SOL is concentrating towards a few large nodes, leading to a decrease in network decentralization. In terms of costs:
Just to maintain operations (excluding hardware and servers), a node needs at least $49,000 worth of SOL in the first year; approximately 401 SOL is required annually for voting fees; daily voting transaction costs can reach up to 1.1 SOL/day.
The trend signal is clear: Solana is gradually evolving from a widely participatory node structure to a structure dominated by large institutional nodes, which may have a profound impact on the network's security structure and governance landscape in the long term.
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