Summary
TLDR: Solana network update v1.17.31 released to address congestion issues, more fixes to come in v1.18. Update aims to alleviate ongoing network congestion caused by known bottleneck in QUIC implementation. Anza testing update on testnet, one-third of validators now running new version. Update not a complete solution, more testing needed in production.
Key Points
1. The first network update for Solana was released by Anza, aimed at addressing the growing congestion on the network that has made it difficult to use.
2. The update, v1.17.31 of the Agave validator client, contains initial fixes for the congestion issues, with more enhancements planned in the upcoming v1.18 release.
3. Despite the update, network congestion on Solana has not been fully resolved, and developers are warning that further fixes will be needed. Currently, one-third of all validators are running the new version of the validator client.