Solana core developers have published a new improvement document, SIMD-0286, that would increase the network’s per-block compute limit from 60 million to 100 million compute units, a 66% boost aimed at delivering more throughput for decentralized finance users and builders, according to the Solana Foundation’s GitHub proposal.

Block limits define the amount of computational work that validators can process within each 400-millisecond block. Bigger ceilings allow high-intensity programs, such as order-book DEXs and MEV auctioneers, to run without encountering “compute budget exceeded” errors, although they also require validators to handle heavier loads.

The network last raised block limits on July 23 through the activation of SIMD 0256, which raised capacity to 60 million CUs, helping Solana process roughly 1,700 transactions per second in daytime traffic. But developer demand for more headroom has grown as restaking protocols, NFT mints, and DePIN projects crowd block space. The change, currently being discussed and tested, would take effect in an upcoming software release and activate automatically at a future epoch once validators upgrade and agree to the higher ceiling.

Solana’s SIMD‑0286 proposal arrives as rival chains shell out their own upgrades. Ethereum’s Pectra hard fork improved the utility of ephemeral data blobs for roll‑ups introduced in the Dencun update. The Bitcoin community is exploring the OP_CAT opcode for smart contract extensions, such as covenants, and better scripting, a move that could greenlight more programmable operations on the network.