Solana proposal could offset $1B in yearly sell pressure but raises decentralization concerns

Solana’s (SOL) upcoming protocol changes could significantly alter its economic model by reducing selling pressure by an estimated $677 million to $1.1 billion annually, but they could introduce new decentralization challenges, according to Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck.

Two key Solana Improvement Documents (SIMD), SIMD 096 and SIMD 0228 are central to reshaping how the network distributes fees and how inflation adjusts to staking participation. Solana recently implemented SIMD 096 on Feb. 12, modifying its fee burn mechanism. 

Previously, 50% of priority fees were burned, while the remaining 50% was distributed between validators and stakers. The new system directs 100% of priority fees to validators, increasing their revenue while disincentivizing off-chain trading agreements between traders and validators. 

By reinforcing on-chain execution, this change aligns transaction processing incentives more directly with network security.

Another proposed change, SIMD 0123, would require validators to distribute priority fees to stakers based on a verifiable commission rate. Currently, priority fees — accounting for 40% of all Solana transaction fees — are not explicitly required to be shared with stakers. 

Some validators voluntarily allocate a portion, but others retain most of these fees. If SIMD 0123 is approved, validator earnings would shift toward a more structured distribution model, increasing rewards for stakers while potentially reducing validator profitability.

Inflation and staking

Although the SIMD 096 implementation aimed to boost validator incentives and discourage side deals, it raised Solana’s annual inflation rate by 30% one week after going live. Meanwhile, SIMD 0228 introduces a dynamic adjustment to Solana’s inflation rate based on staking participation. 

Currently, Solana’s inflation rate is 4.7%, decreasing annually by 15% until it reaches a minimum of 1.5%. Under the proposed model, inflation would decrease as staking participation increases, reducing dilution and selling pressure from stakers who treat staking rewards as income.

Sigel highlighted that if 63% of SOL is staked, inflation would adjust to 0.93%. Additionally, at 65% staking participation, inflation would drop further to 0.87%. 

Conversely, if staking participation declines to 50%, inflation would increase to approximately 1.32%. This mechanism balances token issuance with staking demand, sustaining network security while mitigating unnecessary dilution. 

The vote on SIMD 0228 is scheduled for epoch 753, beginning on March 6.

Sustainability and decentralization

Despite the decreasing selling pressure, Sigel highlighted that these proposed changes may significantly affect validator revenues. Some estimates indicate that earnings for validators could decline by as much as 95%, potentially making operations unsustainable for smaller validators. 

The cost of running a Solana validator includes fixed expenses such as voting fees, which total approximately 1.1 SOL per day and cost $58,000 per year, and hardware costs totaling around $6,000 annually. 

Solana currently has 1,323 validators, but only 458 hold more than 100,000 SOL in stake, surpassing the basic profitability threshold. These concerns about validator sustainability have raised further discussions about network decentralization. 

If smaller validators become unprofitable and shut down operations, the network may consolidate around large institutional entities such as Coinbase and Binance. Sigel said that some community members suggest reducing voting costs as a potential mitigation measure to maintain a more decentralized validator set.

Determining the optimal number of validators for a decentralized network involves trade-offs. While a lower number of validators could lead to greater efficiency, it may also introduce risks related to centralization. 

Sigel noted that ultimately market conditions will shape validator participation, with protocol-level adjustments influencing incentives over time. He added:

“While these changes may reduce staking rewards, we believe lowering inflation is a worthy goal that strengthens Solana’s long-term sustainability. Maintaining a predictable and low inflation rate can support SOL’s value by reducing dilution and sell pressure.”

He also vowed to support Solana’s willingness to experiment with different economic models and adjust the protocol’s course to balance incentives and network health.

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