Solana’s 107K TPS Benchmark Raises Doubts on Network Capacity

• Solana reached 107K TPS, yet most throughput came from no-operation calls rather than user activity.
• Independent trackers like Solscan show Solana near 1K TPS, far below its six-figure milestone.
• Though it hit 107K TPS, Solana’s true scalability needs sustained throughput under real demand.

Solana hit a record-breaking moment this weekend as throughput spiked above 100,000 transactions per second. Developer Mert Mumtaz of Helius confirmed that a block processed 43,016 successful transactions and just over 50 failures, lifting total throughput to 107,540 TPS. He described it as the first instance of a major blockchain achieving six-figure performance on its mainnet.

The numbers, however, were driven by no-operation program calls rather than user activity. These calls are lightweight instructions added to every transaction to satisfy Solana’s protocol rules and do not seek computation or state changes. Their role emphasizes capacity and not facilitating payments, exchanges, or complex application processes.

Real Solana TPS Falls Far Below 100K Headline Record

Mumtaz suggested that despite the artificial nature of the load, the results imply Solana could support 80,000 to 100,000 TPS in real transfers or oracle updates. However, actual usage presents a different picture, wherein Solscan currently shows an average of 3,700 TPS, with most of that inflated by validator voting transactions needed for consensus.

Independent tracking platforms narrow the picture further. Chainspect records throughput at around 1,004 TPS for genuine transactions, while Solscan places it close to 1,050 TPS. Representing Solana’s sustainable performance, these figures highlight the gap between engineered peaks and reality, thus limiting the usage of headline TPS as a measure of scalability.

Source: Chainspect

This discrepancy has become central to blockchain research. Relying on inflated numbers risks presenting an incomplete or misleading view of network capabilities. True scalability requires consistent throughput under organic demand. The Solana milestone illustrates the technical ceiling but also underlines the importance of defining what counts as meaningful activity.

Meanwhile, other Layer-1 blockchains approach scaling differently. Ethereum and Avalanche lean on rollups and modular frameworks, while Solana prioritizes single-chain performance and validator efficiency. The six-figure milestone supports Solana’s design on paper. Yet the question remains whether that model could sustain performance under real-world loads without vote inflation or synthetic stress testing.

Related: Pump.fun Boosts Token Buybacks as Solana Memecoin Market Shifts

Resilience Boosts Solana While Speculation Limits Growth

Industry observers have noted Solana’s resilience during past network strains. Bitwise highlighted its stability during earlier tests, a quality relevant for trading, gaming, and high-frequency workloads. 

Developers view higher throughput as a potential gateway to real-time gaming, AI-driven applications, and decentralized order books. But without clarity on what the numbers represent, use cases may remain theoretical.

Meanwhile, the broader market has taken notice. A U.S. executive order in March established a “Digital Asset Stockpile” and cited Solana as part of its framework. Corporate Treasury has also begun allocating reserves to SOL. In decentralized finance, Solana’s total locked value has grown to $10.35 billion, approaching its January peak, according to DefiLlama.

Speculative activity concentrates that growth. Pump.fun, a memecoin minting platform, represents 62% of the total value locked on the network. Heavy dependence on memecoins raises questions about the depth of adoption. Technical milestones may not translate into diversified growth if much of the activity revolves around speculative platforms.

On the market side, price action reflected the skepticism as SOL slid from $208 to $187 over the weekend and remains 36% below its January record of $293. As of press time, Solana is trading at $181.08, showing a 0.75% decline over the past day. Investors appear to distinguish between engineered transaction spikes and sustainable performance that supports long-term growth.

The record of 107,540 TPS sets a benchmark for Solana’s technical capacity, yet the event underscores why “headline TPS” should not be taken as a full measure of scalability. Sustained throughput under organic, diverse demand is the real test. Until that gap closes, Solana’s challenge is to prove that its model could deliver beyond stress events.

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