Anza: Solana Core Developer Team
(Source: anza_xyz)
Anza is a software development team comprised of core engineers from the Solana ecosystem. The team’s primary responsibilities include maintaining and optimizing Solana’s network infrastructure, while advancing research and implementation of new technologies.
The team continually works to improve network performance, stability, and scalability. The Constellation protocol stands out as a major upgrade scheduled for 2026. Its main objective is to boost blockchain throughput and establish a more transparent transaction ordering mechanism at the protocol level.
Core Design of the Constellation Protocol
(Source: anza_xyz)
Constellation introduces a new approach to transaction proposals: multiple nodes can propose blocks simultaneously, instead of relying on a single node to order and package transactions.
Previously, under the single-leader model, one node was responsible for transaction ordering and block generation during a given period. Constellation replaces this with a system where multiple proposers operate in parallel, enabling the network to process more transaction proposals at once.
Key features of this mechanism include:
- Multi-concurrent proposer model: multiple nodes can submit block proposals at the same time
- Elimination of single-node control over ordering: prevents any single point from dictating transaction order
- Verifiable transaction ordering rules: all validators can verify the transaction ordering results
- Enhanced censorship resistance: reduces the risk of a single node influencing transactions
These design choices make transaction ordering rules more transparent and predictable.
Block Interval Shortened to 50 Milliseconds
With Constellation’s architecture, Solana can achieve block production cycles as short as 50 milliseconds. This allows the network to complete transaction proposals and ordering almost instantly, creating a much faster economic tick rate.
At the protocol level, this speed positions Solana among the fastest blockchains in terms of economic tick rate. For use cases that require high-frequency trading or real-time settlement—such as DeFi or on-chain marketplaces—this speed advantage is highly significant.
Validator Economic Model Remains Stable
Although the transaction proposal mechanism changes, Constellation does not substantially alter Solana’s validator economic model.
Under the new system:
- Transactions still require inclusion fees
- Users can still pay priority fees to increase the likelihood of their transactions being prioritized
- Validators remain responsible for block production and continue to receive related fees
The difference is that validators no longer have exclusive control over transaction ordering; instead, the protocol rules collectively determine the final order.
Protocol-Level Fairness Guarantee
Another key feature of Constellation is embedding transaction fairness directly into the protocol rules.
These rules are:
- Fully deterministic
- Verifiable by all validators
- Independent of third-party services
- Compatible with existing clients—no modifications required
In other words, fairness is enforced by the blockchain protocol itself, not by external mechanisms or trusted intermediaries.
Future Development and Next Steps
Anza has announced that SIMD proposals related to Constellation will be released in the future, further refining the mechanism’s technical details. The team has also launched an official website and a comprehensive white paper, enabling developers and the Group to gain an in-depth understanding of its design principles and operations.
As these technical upgrades roll out, Solana’s underlying architecture will continue to evolve to support even higher-frequency on-chain economic activity.
Summary
The introduction of the Constellation protocol marks a major milestone in Solana’s pursuit of blockchain performance and fairness. By implementing a multi-concurrent proposer mechanism, Constellation removes the limitations of the single-leader model and reduces the block interval to just 50 milliseconds, significantly increasing transaction processing efficiency. At the same time, protocol-level transaction ordering rules enhance network transparency and censorship resistance, laying the groundwork for even higher-frequency on-chain economic activity in the future.
