Austin Federa departs from Solana Foundation to start new protocol

As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience in this dynamic and ever-evolving industry, I find the departure of Austin Federa from Solana to co-found DoubleZero intriguing. Having closely followed his contributions to Solana, it is evident that his expertise in high-performance networks will undoubtedly be a valuable asset in the new venture.


Previously serving as Strategy Lead at the Solana Foundation, Austin Federa decided to step down from the project to establish a fresh protocol and network alongside partners. This venture is aimed at optimizing the management of robust, open-access networks with exceptional performance capabilities.

In a December 4th statement regarding X, Federara expressed that departing from Solana after four years was one of the most challenging professional choices he had to face. However, he emphasized that his new position would enable him to remain engaged with the network, but now from a different perspective.

As Federa explains, his latest venture, DoubleZero, deviates from traditional layer 1 and layer 2 networking protocols. Instead, it’s classified as an N1 – a groundbreaking, global base layer network specifically designed for blockchain technology. The aim is to enhance bandwidth and decrease latency.

“We’re building a network architecture capable of supporting tens of millions of transactions per second,” he said.

As an analyst, I’m kicking off my exploration with Solana, which serves as a base. However, it’s essential to note that DoubleZero and N1 are not just any base layers; they are neutral infrastructures, acting as the foundation for all high-performance blockchains.

According to Federa, the DoubleZero network will be a high-speed, decentralized network made up of various contributors who each contribute their own fiber and undersea cables. This network will function without requiring specific permissions.

In the newly unveiled project blueprint, published on December 2nd, it outlines two significant enhancements to blockchain technology within its structure. These improvements aim to streamline efficiency by enabling custom routing, monitoring, and prioritization of outgoing messages.

Instead of each individual verifier handling it, inbound transactions can be pre-screened for spam and duplicates using specialized equipment. This screening occurs prior to transmission over the DoubleZero network via a common, system-wide filtering mechanism, rather than individually.

The system additionally offers validation features, carried out by network devices operating open-source software, for confirming the authenticity of incoming information.

Based on the report’s findings, this setup should eliminate communication constraints for systems such as layer 1 and layer 2 blockchains, enabling them to operate at peak efficiency.

According to Federa, the goal is to address a fundamental issue that lies at the core of both the internet and high-speed blockchain systems: establishing a robust, foundational level of global connectivity.

Federa explained that the objective is straightforward: enhance data transmission speed, minimize delay, boost decentralization, and bolster censorship immunity. This will allow us to utilize today’s powerful blockchain systems more effectively and pave the way for constructing entirely novel types of network designs.

Beyond just benefiting blockchain initiatives, the whitepaper proposes that any distributed systems requiring swift and precise communication might also experience advantages.

To clarify, we’re referring to digital games played over the internet, where even slight delays can significantly impact the player’s enjoyment, and these games operate using either a system where players interact directly (peer-to-peer) or through a centralized server.

Utilizing large language models could be another viable application proposed, where the DoubleZero network serves as the swift data transmission link between multiple data centers.

DoubleZero was established by Austin Federa along with crypto enthusiasts Andrew McConnell and Mateo Ward. They are initially debuting with two primary development groups, Firedancer and Malbec Labs.

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2024-12-05 06:35