Solana Foundation VP says validator support overhaul aims to strengthen network stability

As concerns grow over the fate of existing delegated stake after the Solana Foundation changed support criteria for its Solana Foundation Delegation Program, Jacob Creech, the foundation’s vice president of engineering, said the overhaul is intended to improve network stability and expand support for ecosystem contributors. The changes include a 12-month participation limit, automatic graduation once a validator reaches 300,000 SOL in staked assets, a cap of 100 participating validators, and a requirement for validators to operate directly. In a post on X, Creech said SFDP has served to foster new validators, support testnet operations, and enable early validation of network changes. He added that as the Solana network has grown, feedback indicated SFDP had not adapted sufficiently to those changes and lacked adequate standards. Going forward, Creech said, the foundation plans to maintain support for new validators while also rewarding validators that help improve network stability and contribute to ecosystem development.