Solana speeds blocks 17% without raising transaction capacity

Solana cut its target slot time from 300 milliseconds to 250 milliseconds earlier Friday. Blockchain data shows the change made the network's clock nearly 17% faster without an equivalent increase in total transaction capacity. Solana will target four slots each second at 250 milliseconds. That is up from about 3.3 slots each second. The change shortens epochs to about 30 hours. It also leaves less time for offline signing and delayed approvals. Validators will remain leaders for four consecutive slots. The faster clock reduces each leader's control window from 1.2 seconds to one second. The next validator will therefore receive transaction-ordering power sooner. The change can give wallets, exchanges and trading applications a more current view of the network. Oracle-powered markets and automated market makers can be affected by stale prices or a few hundred milliseconds of uncertainty. Users should see transaction updates sooner. Swaps will have a smaller window for market movements before they reach the network. This can mean fewer failed trades and less chance of receiving a materially different price than expected. A proposed reduction to 200 milliseconds has no mainnet date.