The Solana network remained in a deep freeze on Saturday as validators prepared a second attempt to restart the blockchain to restore service to blockchain users.
By evening New York time, validators operating Solana’s infrastructure had long since determined that synchronising a restart and forking the chain would be the most effective way to correct the chain. An initial attempt was abandoned when validators realised they had chosen the incorrect point to resume, prolonging the delay.
Solana tries turning it off and on again (twice)
February 25, 2023https://t.co/gWvXZpLiZQ pic.twitter.com/1szgdErQuK
— web3 is going just great (@web3isgreat) February 26, 2023
According to validators and developers interviewed by CoinCulture, the issues arising from sluggish transaction processing have escalated into a near-total shutdown of Solana. Block production has ceased, and no transactions are being processed or validated.
For the chain’s users, their on-chain crypto assets are immovable, frozen in place until strong backend infrastructure returns to service.
After hours of the crisis, the key voices in the Solana ecosystem still searched for a perpetrator. According to one prominent theory, a “thick block” impeded the blockchain’s functionality. Notably, the network was transitioning to an enhanced version just before the onset of its problems.
At the time of publication, validators and developers from Solana Labs were attempting to resume the chain with the backing of approximately 70% of total stake. To proceed, the network requires an 80% supermajority.