Glossary
Solana
A high-throughput Layer-1 blockchain that combines a PoS validator set with proof-of-history and parallel execution to target 50,000+ TPS on a single chain.
Solana, launched in 2020, is the most-used monolithic high-throughput chain. Its consensus combines proof-of-stake voting with proof-of-history — a verifiable delay function that orders transactions in time before voting. Combined with parallel transaction execution (Sealevel) and a custom networking stack (Turbine, Gulf Stream), the network targets 50,000+ transactions per second on a single chain.
The trade-off is hardware: validators need beefy machines and fast networking. Solana has had repeated outages over its history, but remains the dominant venue for high-frequency trading and consumer apps in crypto.