Solana Foundation Trims Validator Program to 100 Slots, 12-Month Limit

The Solana Foundation has rewritten the rules of its Validator Delegation Program, imposing a 12-month membership cap and limiting participation to no more than 100 validators at a time, according to Crypto Briefing. The outlet reports that the revised policy became effective November 6, 2026, and also requires any validator whose external stake grows past 300,000 SOL to leave the program.

Under the new terms, participants get vote cost coverage during their first 12 months on a schedule that tapers from 100% down to 0%, Crypto Briefing reports. Validators enrolled can charge commission of no more than 5% on staking rewards. Citing Solana Foundation data, the outlet says that as of Epoch 1077, 337 validators were enrolled, holding a combined delegation stake of roughly 23.74 million SOL, about 5% of all staked SOL on the network. Crypto Briefing notes the Foundation's stake share was nearly 44% when the program launched, and that the new 100-validator ceiling sits far below the current roster of 337.

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According to Crypto Briefing, validators who exceed the new limits will be phased out in weekly batches instead of being cut immediately, and those removed can reapply once they meet the updated criteria. The outlet also states validators must satisfy data center and network concentration limits designed to reduce single points of failure. Crypto Briefing does not report the specific retirement schedule for validators above the new cap, nor how many of the 337 current participants already exceed the 300,000 SOL stake threshold.