Frankendancer Validation Client Launch

Frankendancer, a validator client prototype for Firedancer, launched on Solana’s mainnet, as announced by Jump Crypto’s chief science officer, Kevin Bowers, at the Solana Breakpoint event in Singapore.

This launch comes ahead of the mainnet debut of the full validator client, Firedancer.

Previously, Agave, another validator client developed by Anza, launched on Solana mainnet in August. Bowers emphasized the practical benefits of Agave evolving independently while staying in sync with protocol updates. He noted that their hybrid validator would consist of standardized modules, allowing for community-driven replacements.

During his keynote, Bowers shared that Firedancer is currently operational on testnet. The Block has reached out for additional details regarding Firedancer’s mainnet launch timetable.

Bowers stated, “A second independent validator has benefits beyond performance, but performance is essential for reduced costs and increased capacity.” He confirmed community collaboration in various areas, highlighting Agave’s ability to meet protocol limits.

Additionally, Agave announced that its v2.0 would launch on Solana Mainnet-Beta after Solana Breakpoint 2024, featuring several significant updates, including breaking changes and the removal of some API endpoints.