Pipe Network launches SolanaCDN: a free, open-source Solana validator client with built-in acceleration features

Pipe Network today announced the launch of SolanaCDN, a free and open-source Solana validator client that integrates a CDN acceleration layer. SolanaCDN is a fork of Anza Agave, enabling every Solana validator to achieve faster shard propagation speeds through Pipe's global network of over 35,000 PoP nodes.

Both the client and the CDN layer are completely free. Pipe Network provides SolanaCDN as a public infrastructure for the Solana ecosystem.

Problems SolanaCDN Addresses

Validator performance on Solana is heavily influenced by the geographic location of the network. Validators closer to block producers receive shards earlier, vote faster, and earn more rewards. In contrast, validators in areas with poor connectivity, regardless of hardware, face slower propagation speeds, missed votes, and reduced leader slot income.

SolanaCDN addresses this issue by providing validators with a second, faster shard transmission path that runs in parallel with the native Gossip protocol. Shard and voting packets are routed through Pipe's global network, which continuously measures each network path and transmits traffic in real-time along the fastest available route.

The native Gossip protocol still operates at the core. SolanaCDN simply adds a parallel high-speed channel.

Performance

SolanaCDN's propagation speed is 3.8 times faster than standard Turbine, with a P50 cross-region latency of about 78 milliseconds, while the benchmark latency for the standard Gossip protocol is around 300 milliseconds.

The client also comes with Pipe's pre-built optimization features that can be used even without the CDN layer enabled: leader-optimized fast shreds, downloading snapshots from Pipe's global network, and real-time estimated completion time display during validator catchup.

Public Infrastructure

Faster propagation speeds create network effects. Every validator running SolanaCDN improves shard transmission globally, meaning that the overall block finalization speed of the entire Solana network is faster, with fewer forks and missed slots.

"Validator performance should not be determined by geographic location," said Pipe Network CEO David Rhodus. "SolanaCDN allows every validator to use the same fast infrastructure. The more validators that run it, the faster Solana becomes for everyone."

Technical Design

SolanaCDN is a fully Agave-compatible fork. Validators can install it as a direct replacement for their existing clients. The CDN layer is optional, activated by a single configuration flag, and is designed to be non-consensus. It does not modify block production, consensus logic, leader scheduling, or voting rules. All CDN operations are non-blocking and fail-safe. If the CDN layer is unavailable, validators will continue to operate normally.

Built-in Prometheus metrics and competitive data between CDN and Gossip allow operators to gain comprehensive insights into performance changes in their environment.

Availability

SolanaCDN is now available. The source code has been released on GitHub, and the client is ready to run on the Solana mainnet Beta.

Website: https://solanacdn.com

GitHub: https://github.com/pipenetwork/agave-solana

About Pipe Network

Pipe Network is a global edge infrastructure company built on Solana. The network operates over 35,000 ultra-local PoP nodes worldwide, providing distributed storage with fast reads and real-time data delivery. Pipe's coverage network tracks latency, packet loss, and jitter for each path in real-time, transmitting traffic along the fastest route.