Solana issues urgent validator update while most nodes delay migration

Beincrypto reports that the Solana blockchain pushed an urgent validator software update on January 10, but most of the network’s validators remained on the older client as of press time. Solana Status announced the immediate release of validator client v3.0.14 on January 10 and Solana Foundation validator-relations lead Tim Garcia urged operators to upgrade.

The specific root cause of the urgency remains undisclosed, and Solanabeach data shows roughly 51.3% of the network’s stake is still on v3.0.13 while about 18% has migrated to v3.0.14, leaving a large portion of secured value on the older client. The network has also seen a 42% decline in active validators over the past year, falling from 1,364 to 783 according to Solana Compass data — a contraction the report says may centralize control and reflects economic pressure on smaller operators.

Analysts note that in a Proof-of-Stake system delayed adoption of “urgent” upgrades can open a window of heightened vulnerability. Despite these operational concerns, on-chain activity remains strong: DeFiLlama data shows DEX volumes rose 23% this week to top $35 billion (the highest weekly volume since the first week of last November), Solana has processed about eight times more daily transactions than any other chain for the past six months, and Token Terminal reports stablecoin liquidity on Solana is up roughly 200% over the past year to about $15 billion.

Key Topics

Crypto, Solana, Solana Foundation, Tim Garcia, Validator Client, Stablecoin Liquidity