Unlocking Native Network Extensions on Solana

Solforge is extending Solana by enabling native network extensions through its novel and unique coordination layer. By implementing advanced design principles such as based sequencing, data availability, and proof aggregation, Solforge tackles key challenges that have previously constrained network extensions on Solana. This introduces Solforge's distinctive engine to power native extensions, significantly expanding the scope of business models and opportunities within the Solana ecosystem.

The Solforge Paradigm

We are at the forefront of the execution extension design paradigm, enabling a whole new design space packed with opportunities for new and existing builders wanting to use the power of Solana to power their applications.

System Design & Components

Solforge is unlocking entirely new opportunities for applications to harness the power of on-chain systems through native network extensions on Solana. By leveraging Solana's unique architecture and our novel validator approach, we're enabling a market of native validator extensions, introducing a game-changing design paradigm to the Solana ecosystem.

Core Components:

• Ackerman: A distributed global coordination layer that enhances service reliability, low-latency processing, and state atomicity for extensions.
• Yeager: A sequencer optimized for fast, reliable transaction execution with two-digit millisecond confirmation times.
• Leonhart: A lightweight SVM execution environment supporting selected operations from the SVM-API.

Key Innovations:

• Timing & Data Load: Overcoming the limitations external systems face with timing and data load.
• Guaranteed Inclusion: Ensuring reliable transaction inclusion with our slot-inclusion quality of service mechanism.
• Atomicity Across Systems: Achieving atomicity between external systems via same-slot inclusion.

<aside> <img src="/icons/code_orange.svg" alt="/icons/code_orange.svg" width="40px" /> Public Goods: Both Yeager and Leonhart will be released as open-source components for the community to adopt and customise.

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Early Use Cases

Solforge enables new use cases previously impossible through its native network extensions. Market makers and exchanges (including DEXs) can now enjoy highly efficient liquidity markets due to low latency and system reliability, opening the possibility for high-frequency trading on-chain. The possibilities are endless and can extend to sectors such as gaming and AI agents, among others.

Other use cases include:

• Creating new business models and revenue streams for RPC providers and shared sequencers, and more existing on-chain service providers for extensions.
• Expanding Solana with new VMs through Solforge's global account model, opening new markets for innovation by enabling a completely new design space for developers.
• Powering high-performance financial applications on-chain, such as Spot & Perp trading applications with low-latency execution, enabling by highly more efficient liquidity markets.

Private Testnet Release

Ackermann private testnet is set to launch in Q4-2024 where we are inviting selected participants to run the Ackermann sidecar along-side our validator program. We encourage seasoned, experienced node-runners from multiple ecosystems to apply for our genesis program.

Genesis Private Testnet Program

• Program will run in cohorts over four different quarters, where we will focus on:
  • Testing Ackermann robustness and service reliability
  • Improving core metrics with system patches and upgrades
  • Identify core partners to work with at the production-level deployment stage
• We have partnered with a select number of data-centres
  • For Q4-24, we are only able to cover Europe & North-America
  • However, for H1-25 we will be expanding to other regions