Glossary OS

Plain meaning

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The next-generation execution environment under development by Solana Labs to replace the original runtime with a more modular, formally specified, and performant architecture that cleanly separates the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) from the core validator client. Runtime v2 is designed to enable the SVM to be embedded in non-validator contexts (e.g., rollups, SVM-compatible chains), improve program execution performance, and provide cleaner abstractions for program loaders. It underpins the broader SVM ecosystem strategy and the Agave validator client.

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Solana Runtime v2 (solana-runtime-v2)
Category: Network
Definition: The next-generation execution environment under development by Solana Labs to replace the original runtime with a more modular, formally specified, and performant architecture that cleanly separates the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) from the core validator client. Runtime v2 is designed to enable the SVM to be embedded in non-validator contexts (e.g., rollups, SVM-compatible chains), improve program execution performance, and provide cleaner abstractions for program loaders. It underpins the broader SVM ecosystem strategy and the Agave validator client.
Related: Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), Runtime

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Branch

Solana Virtual Machine (SVM)

The Solana Virtual Machine—the execution environment that runs on-chain programs. SVM loads SBF bytecode, provides syscalls for account access and cryptographic operations, enforces compute budgets, and manages memory. The SVM is being modularized (via the SVM API) to enable use in rollups and other environments outside the main Solana validator.

Sealevel BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter)

Open term

Branch

Runtime

The component of the SVM responsible for loading programs, enforcing account access rules (ownership, writability, signer checks), managing compute budgets, and executing transactions. The runtime ensures programs can only modify accounts they own, charges rent, and enforces the 10MB per-transaction account data limit.

Transaction

Open term

Next concepts to explore

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Core Protocol

Solana Virtual Machine (SVM)

The Solana Virtual Machine—the execution environment that runs on-chain programs. SVM loads SBF bytecode, provides syscalls for account access and cryptographic operations, enforces compute budgets, and manages memory. The SVM is being modularized (via the SVM API) to enable use in rollups and other environments outside the main Solana validator.

Open term

Core Protocol

Runtime

The component of the SVM responsible for loading programs, enforcing account access rules (ownership, writability, signer checks), managing compute budgets, and executing transactions. The runtime ensures programs can only modify accounts they own, charges rent, and enforces the 10MB per-transaction account data limit.

Open term

Network

Stake Activation

The process by which newly delegated stake becomes active and begins earning staking rewards. After a user delegates SOL to a validator, the stake enters a warmup phase and becomes fully active at the next epoch boundary (within one epoch, approximately 2-3 days). During activation, the stake does not contribute to the validator's voting weight or earn rewards. This delay prevents rapid stake shifts that could destabilize consensus.

Open term

Network

Slashing

The punitive reduction of a validator's stake as a penalty for provable misbehavior such as double-signing or equivocation — confirming two conflicting blocks at the same slot. As of 2025, Solana does not yet enforce automatic on-chain slashing (unlike Ethereum), though it is a planned addition to the protocol; the primary deterrents currently are social consensus, stake withdrawal by delegators, and future slashing implementation. The lack of slashing means Solana validators face lower direct financial risk from bugs but also reduced cryptographic accountability compared to slashing-enabled networks.

Open term

Related terms

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Core Protocolsvm

Solana Virtual Machine (SVM)

The Solana Virtual Machine—the execution environment that runs on-chain programs. SVM loads SBF bytecode, provides syscalls for account access and cryptographic operations, enforces compute budgets, and manages memory. The SVM is being modularized (via the SVM API) to enable use in rollups and other environments outside the main Solana validator.

Open term

Core Protocolruntime

Runtime

The component of the SVM responsible for loading programs, enforcing account access rules (ownership, writability, signer checks), managing compute budgets, and executing transactions. The runtime ensures programs can only modify accounts they own, charges rent, and enforces the 10MB per-transaction account data limit.

Open term

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Network

Mainnet Beta

Solana's primary production cluster where real SOL and real economic activity occur; the "beta" designation reflects the network's ongoing protocol development despite being fully live since March 2020. It uses the same architecture as other clusters but with real validator stakes, live staking rewards, and permanent on-chain state. All production dApps, tokens, and NFTs exist on Mainnet Beta.

Open term

Network

Devnet

A persistent public Solana cluster intended for application development and testing, running the same software version as Mainnet Beta but with no real economic value. Devnet SOL can be freely airdropped via the CLI or faucet APIs, and the ledger may be reset periodically by Solana Labs. Developers use Devnet to test programs and integrations before deploying to Mainnet Beta.

Open term

Network

Testnet

A public Solana cluster used primarily by the Solana core team and validators to test new software releases, performance benchmarks, and network upgrades under real network conditions before they reach Mainnet Beta. Testnet SOL has no monetary value, and the ledger is reset more frequently than Devnet; it is less suitable for application development and more suited for validator operators validating their infrastructure.

Open term

Network

TPS (Transactions Per Second)

The rate at which a Solana cluster processes and commits transactions; Solana's theoretical maximum exceeds 65,000 TPS due to its parallel execution model, though real-world sustained throughput on Mainnet Beta typically ranges from 2,000–5,000 non-vote TPS under normal load. Vote transactions (used for consensus) make up a significant portion of all on-chain activity and are counted separately. High TPS is enabled by Proof of History timestamps, Sealevel parallel execution, and Gulf Stream mempool-less forwarding.

Open term