The Solana Foundation is restructuring its Solana Foundation Delegation Program (SFDP), capping participation at 100 validators and limiting support to a maximum of 12 months per validator. Each participant must also operate its own validator node. Validators will automatically exit the program once their delegated stake reaches 300,000 SOL.
Program Changes and Rationale
Jacob Creech, vice president of engineering at the Solana Foundation, explained the changes in response to recent controversy over the overhaul, according to a Nov. 10 report by BlockBeats. Creech said the Solana ecosystem and its validator community have grown over time, making the old support model less able to reflect the network’s changing conditions.
SFDP was originally created to help new validators join the network, keep the testnet running reliably, and allow some validators to test network updates before they go live. Under the new rules, the foundation will delegate SOL in a more flexible way, focusing on network stability and contributions to the ecosystem. Delegation means the foundation stakes its own SOL with chosen validators, helping them earn rewards.
Continued Support for New Validators
Creech said support for new validators will continue. SFDP will still serve as an entry point for newcomers, but with fixed limits on time, stake, and size. Outside of SFDP, the foundation plans to expand separate SOL delegations to validators that have made major contributions to the network. The foundation has taken this approach before, having previously delegated stake to ecosystem contributors such as Blueshift and to validators that tested Frankendancer early.
Concerns Over Validator Numbers
The overhaul has raised concerns that the total number of validators on Solana could drop. Creech addressed those worries directly, saying that reducing the size of the validator set is not the goal. However, he noted that the number could decline as a side effect if the foundation cannot find enough high-quality contributors.
More than 100 validators have already submitted materials to continue receiving support, the report said.
Market Context
The changes come as SOL trades under pressure. The token has fallen below its 20-day moving average of $95.19 and its 50-day moving average of $106.06, based on market data cited alongside the report. SOL’s relative strength index stood at 23.18 at the time; traders generally view a reading below 30 as a sign that an asset is oversold. Trading volume has also been declining, according to the same data. Price levels near $83.50 and $80 have been flagged as support zones.
