The packets are then exchanged between “neighbouring” validators, thus forming a neighbourhood. A proposed block is split into 64KB packets and every validator receives a different packet. Solana adopts BitTorrent’s data distribution mechanism and calls it Turbine. If there are thousands of them and each block is several megabytes in size, transmitting individually to each validator becomes a very slow procedure. The leader, which makes up a block, needs to transmit it to all validators. TurbineĮvery node has to witness a new block before it is confirmed. This makes quick ordering and block formation possible. If anything does not match, a malicious attempt is identified straightaway. For a 4,000-long chain of hashes, core 1 checks hashes 1 and 2, core 2 checks hashes 2 and 3 and so on, all at the same time. Modern GPUs have around 4,000 cores and the job of verifying the sequence can be parallelised. Since computing hashes requires time, publishing correct hashes proves that real time has passed after a new added event.Ĭhecking a given sequence of hashes, on the other hand, is computationally easy. Because of sensitivity to input changes, the new values have to be computed from scratch and they are published for verification. When a new event occurs, it can be appended to this chain starting at some point, causing all future hashes to change. Instead of creating a unified time for all participants, it allows every node to check the validity of order independently.įirst, a hash function is applied to a random string, its output is hashed again and so on. Proof of History is a mechanism which helps order the events on blockchain. For example, feeding “Coin Rivet” and “CoinRivet” gives completely different results, even though we simply omitted the space : What really matters is that these functions are very sensitive to changes in input. A hash function always returns strings of the same length, no matter the input size and type. Hash functions allow you to scramble information in a very random manner. Hash functions need to be explained first. Solana addresses this problem with Verifiable Delay Functions and a novel mechanism called Proof of History.
By using it, Ethereum and Bitcoin become slow and often incur costly transactions. In fact, Proof of Work can be regarded as a mechanism for demonstrating passage of time between events. But timestamps cannot be trusted 100% in decentralised networks. For instance, Google’s distributed database called “Spanner” uses three atomic clocks that are synchronised to a very high precision level which provides a reliable source of time. To address this problem, most blockchains incorporate ‘reliable’ global time for the network and use timestamps for every occurring event to understand its position relative to all other events. For example, you should not be able to spend funds before you receive them.
For consensus, ordering of events is important. Solana’s approach to consensusĬonsensus is a process of agreement between blockchain nodes on the new transactions. Solana uses eight innovative technologies to achieve its goals, but in this guide we will touch on the two major ones – Proof of History and Turbine. All while maintaining close to zero network fees. It wants to build a scalable network which is much faster than any existing blockchain, and even VISA.Īs of mid 2021, Solana supports 50,000 transactions per second (TPS) and produces new blocks every 400 milliseconds with the help of 200 validating nodes. Solana is a project dedicated to solving the blockchain trilemma. 👉 Tell me how Terms and conditions apply