Key Takeaways:
- Solana expelled validators from its delegation program for conducting sandwich attacks on retail users.
- Solana’s Validator Relations Team confirmed the permanent removals and ongoing enforcement actions
In a decisive move to combat sandwich bots plaguing the Solana network, the Solana Foundation has removed a group of validator operators from its delegation program.
These operators were found to be involved in “sandwich attacks” that negatively impacted Solana users. Over the weekend, more than 30 validators were expelled from the program, although they remain active as validators on the network.
This expulsion means they are no longer eligible for the rewards provided for validating transactions.
Simply put, Solana has positioned itself as a pro-memecoin platform, while Ethereum has taken the opposite approach. However, the latest enforcement actions from the Solana Foundation might indicate a shift away from this narrative.
A source familiar with the matter disclosed that many of the removed operators were Russians. This decision comes as the Solana network aims to enforce stringent standards and uphold the integrity of its ecosystem.
Validator operators who violate the Foundation’s best practices, such as enabling sandwiching through modifications, face severe penalties.
Tim Garcia, Solana’s validator relations lead, emphasized that these enforcement actions are final and ongoing as the network continues to detect and act against such harmful practices.
The Solana Foundation Delegation Program supports validators by assigning them SOL tokens, which helps reduce the need for validators to hold a large token reserve. Validators are chosen based on their performance and are expected to follow specific criteria and good practices.
However, those who engage in malicious activities, including participating in private mempools to conduct sandwich attacks, will face immediate expulsion from the program. Garcia stated, “Anyone found engaging in such activity will be rejected from the program, and any stake from the Foundation will be immediately and permanently removed.”
While some critics argue that this move represents centralized authority exerting too much power, others believe it is necessary for maintaining the network’s trustworthiness.
Many reports also suggest that this action aims to prevent Solana from becoming a “ghost chain” and to retain memecoin traders, who might otherwise migrate to faster and cheaper networks like Ethereum Layer 2.
Critics within the crypto community argue that this decision underscores Solana’s centralization issues compared to other blockchains. Solana has faced similar criticisms in the past, particularly when the network experienced prolonged shutdowns.
