The Good Tech Companies - What It Takes to Run a Solana Validator: Hardware, Bandwidth, and Budget

Episode Date: May 23, 2025

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/what-it-takes-to-run-a-solana-validator-hardware-bandwidth-and-budget. Explore and compare dedicated server specs, RAM, NVMe storage, and network bandwidth for blockchain nodes. Check more stories related to web3 at: https://hackernoon.com/c/web3. You can also check exclusive content about #blockchain, #blockchain-validation, #solana-blockchain, #ethereum-blockchain, #staking, #web3, #solana-validator-hardware, #good-company, and more. This story was written by: @hostkey. Learn more about this writer by checking @hostkey's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com. Blockchain is a decentralized data storage system where each transaction is recorded in a chain of blocks. This allows the creation of trusted systems without central control. Validation servers for high-performance networks like Solana require careful consideration of hardware specifications to ensure optimal performance.

This audio is presented by Hacker Noon, where anyone can learn anything about any technology. What it takes to run a Solana Validator, hardware, bandwidth, and budget. By Hostkey, Com, Optimization of CPU and Memory parameters for blockchain validation servers. Blockchain is a decentralized data storage system where each transaction is recorded in a chain of blocks, ensuring transparency and immutability of information. This allows the creation of trusted systems without central control, which has become the foundation for cryptocurrencies, decentralized applications, DApps, NFTs, and other innovations. Validation servers for blockchain networks, particularly those supporting high-performance networks like Solana, require careful consideration of hardware specifications to ensure optimal performance.

Among the most critical components are the central processor, CPU, and random access memory, RAM, which directly impact transaction processing speed, registry synchronization efficiency, and overall system reliability. Choosing a processor the choice for blockchain validation servers is largely determined by the need to support multi-threading and high clock speeds. Multi-threading allows the processor to execute multiple threads simultaneously, thereby enhancing its ability to handle parallel operations, this is crucial for blockchains processing thousands of transactions per second. For example, AMD E The AMD EPYC9254 processor features 24 cores at a clock speed of 2.9 GHz and effectively handles the computational tasks associated with blockchain validation. Such configurations not only improve transaction throughput but also reduce latency during consensus participation and data distribution. Random access memory, RAM, plays an equally important role in ensuring smooth operation.

Blockchain validators require significant memory, ranging from 256 to 512 gigabytes, preferably DDR5 type, to meet their computational needs. This is due to the network architecture requiring fast access to large datasets for transaction verification and maintaining the state of the registry. Insufficient RAM can create bottlenecks during peak loads, leading to slower registry synchronization and degraded performance. For example, configurations offered by specialized blockchain solution providers like Cherry servers include 384GB DDR5 RAM, which represents a balance between cost and performance suitable for networks like Solana. Greater than 24-7 technical support greater than greater than deploy data storage significantly impacts the efficiency of blockchain validation servers.

NVMe SSDs are considered the preferred option over traditional SATA SSDs due to their higher read write speeds exceeding 7,000 megabytes per second compared to the SATA limit of 600 megabytes per second. This performance advantage reduces registry synchronization time, a critical factor for maintaining responsiveness in a rapidly changing environment. For hosting validator nodes, enterprise models of NVMe SSDs are recommended, with typical setups including separate drives for operating system installation and blockchain registry storage. For instance, Cherry Servers recommends using 2x1TB NVMe drives for OS installation and blockchain registry storage. For instance, Cherry servers recommends

using 2x1TB NVMe drives for OS installation and 2x4TB NVMe drives for registry storage, ensuring speed and durability. Advantage of NVMe and SATA SSD for blockchain hosting the rapid expansion of blockchain networks, especially high-performance systems like Solana, has necessitated a reevaluation of data storage solutions capable of managing significant volumes of information. As of April 2025, the Solana network generates approximately 80 to 95 terabytes of data annually under current traffic conditions, with potential growth to several petabytes if usage approaches full projected capacity. This underscores the critical importance of choosing data storage technologies that can

efficiently handle such massive datasets while maintaining performance standards. In this context, NVMe SSDs, non-volatile memory express, have emerged as an excellent choice over traditional SATA SSDs due to their exceptional read, write speeds and lower latency, making them ideal for blockchain hosting environments. NVMe SSDs operating on PCIe Gen4x4 interfaces achieve sequential throughput of UP to 7 to 8 GB per second, with enterprise models typically offering 5 to 7 GB per second read, write speeds.

These figures sharply contrast with SATA 3 SSDs, which are limited to a maximum of 550 MB per second. For blockchain transaction validation workloads requiring high IOPS, up to 1 million random 4 kilobytes IOPS, and low latency, approximately 100 microseconds, NVMe drives have a significant advantage over SATA and SAS options. Eliminating the SATA HBA layer allows nvMe drives to directly interact with the processor through PCIe, reducing latency and increasing efficiency. This capability is critical for blockchain nodes requiring fast registry synchronization, especially in high-performance applications like Solana.

Network bandwidth requirements in high-transaction blockchain networks in blockchain networks with high transaction volumes, network bandwidth plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of nodes. The robustness of the underlying network infrastructure directly affects validators and RPC nodes' ability to process transactions efficiently and disseminate blocks across the decentralized network. For example, Solana validators are recommended to US asymmetrical fiber connections with speeds exceeding 1 gigabit per second, reflecting the platform's heightened data exchange appetite.

Such stringent requirements stem from the need to maintain the high throughput embedded in blockchain architecture, which can generate approximately 80 to 95 terabytes of data annually under current traffic volumes, with potential growth to several petabytes per year IFUSAGE reaches projected capacity. Monthly traffic limits for blockchain nodes further emphasize the importance of a reliable connection. Service providers focused on blockchain network loads like Solana often offer packages ranging from 100 terabytes to unlimited traffic, meeting the needs of networks where transaction volumes can exceed 100 terabytes per month, while Ethereum requires approximately 30 to 40 terabytes

of monthly traffic with similar connection speeds of 1 gigabit per second. These figures highlight the importance of choosing hosting solutions capable of satisfying current and future demands. Regional limitations leading to latency further complicate optimizing network bandwidth for blockchain nodes. Studies show that regions with higher network latency experience delays in block propagation, negatively impacting overall network throughput. For instance, even a few milliseconds of delay in block dissemination can cause significant performance bottlenecks, especially in high-performance networks like Solana. The strategic choice of

hosting region becomes crucial to mitigate these effects. Service providers with a global data center network allow operators to host their nodes closer to users or other network participants, reducing latency and improving block synchronization. This geographic factor is particularly important when deploying nodes in regions with connectivity issues or where internet service providers set asymmetric upload-download ratios unsuitable for blockchain operations. Dedicated Servers for Blockchain Transaction Validation A Comprehensive Analysis Blockchain transaction validation is a computationally intensive process that requires robust and specialized infrastructure. Proposals for dedicated servers tailored to support blockchain workloads serve as critical

solutions, especially for high-performance networks like Solana. Pricing for dedicated servers supporting blockchain workloads varies significantly by region and raid configuration. Medium-sized projects begin at approximately $1,800 per month, while larger operations may exceed $3,800 per month with additional resources. The cost reflects not only premium hardware boot also the redundancy and scalability inherent in blockchain validation tasks. RAID configurations, such as Enterprise NVMe disks set up in RAID 1 or RAID 10 arrays, enhance data resilience and fault tolerance, critical aspects due to the constant operation

required by blockchain nodes. Greater than Ethereum, ETH, full node hosting greater than greater than high performance Web3 servers for Ethereum staking. Crypto-optimized, secure, greater than and fully customizable hosting. Greater than greater than deploy innovations in cloud hosting for blockchain applications. The rapid advancement of blockchain technology has necessitated advanced hosting solutions capable of meeting its computational needs. Among the most transformative innovations

is the integration of GPU acceleration into cloud hosting platforms, significantly enhancing performance for tasks such as transaction validation and smart contract execution. For example, Amazon Web Services, AUS, offers managed blockchain solutions that utilize GPU instances to optimize workloads requiring high parallel processing. These capabilities are a particularly beneficial for blockchains like Solana, which use a proof-of-history consensus mechanism to process thousands of transactions per second. Using AWS infrastructure, developers can deploy nodes with configurations tailored to the extensive computational requirements of modern decentralized applications. Another important innovation in cloud hosting for blockchain applications is the implementation of automatic scaling.

This feature allows dynamic allocation of resources based on current demand, ensuring stable performance even during transaction volume spikes. For example, providers integrate eye-based autoscaling solutions that smoothly adjust resource distribution, reducing operational costs while maintaining low response latency. Such systems are vital for supporting high-frequency trading, HFT, platforms and real-time DeFi protocols, where delays of even milliseconds can lead to significant financial losses. Autoscaling also addresses the issue of unpredictable network traffic characteristic of blockchain ecosystems,

offering a reliable foundation for scalability without compromising reliability. Integrations with blockchain-specific APIs further enhance the functionality of cloud hosting platforms. Tools provided by Solana, such as Gulfstream protocol optimizations and custom plugins like Jupyter API and JITA Client simplify node deployment and management processes. These integrations allow developers toprecisely configure node parameters, optimizing elements such as memory distribution and validator selection to meet their project's unique needs. Additionally, services like Sol Trading API Blockthroughed facilitate predictive caching

and early transaction processing aligned with Solana's Mempool Free Design architecture. These achievements highlight the importance of platform compatibility when selecting a hosting provider, as they directly impact blockchain operations efficiency and adaptability. Despite these advancements, there are notable trade-offs between traditional virtual private servers, VPS, or dedicated servers and modern cloud solutions optimized for specific blockchain use cases. Traditional setups, such as bare-metal servers, excel in performance and configuration control, making them ideal for critical applications. However, they often come at a higher cost and lack the scalability of cloud alternatives. They often come at a higher cost and lack the scalability of cloud alternatives.

Conversely, cloud solutions offer greater flexibility and economic efficiency but may struggle to match the raw performance of dedicated hardware under extreme loads. This dilemma underscores the need for careful evaluation of an organization's priorities, whether it be performance, customization, or budget constraints, when choosing a hosting strategy. Brief overview of blockchain technologies and analysis of hosting providers with Solana Example. customization, or budget constraints, when choosing a hosting strategy. Brief overview of blockchain technologies and analysis of hosting providers with Solana example. Solana is one of the most high-performance blockchain networks, capable of processing up to 65,000 transactions per second thanks to its unique architecture that combines Proof of History, PoE, with traditional Proof of State, POS. This makes it one of the most popular platforms for DeFi, Web3, and fast smart contracts.

Key components of Solana 1. Validators, participate in consensus, verify transactions, vote on blocks, receive rewards. 2. RPC servers, remote procedure call nodes, provide API for interacting with the network, used by DAP developers, exchanges, and wallets. 3. Indexers, collect data about transactions, accounts, events, and store them in a structured format for easy search and analysis. 4.

Test nodes, test validators, devnet, local or remote nodes used by developers to test smart contracts, DAPPs, and new features before launching on the mainnet. Resources required for Solana components Each type of node has its own hardware resource requirements. Below are the recommended specifications, type of node processor, CPU, RAM disk network node validator 24 plus cores amd pyc intel xeon 512 gigabytes ddr4 plus 2 by 2 terabytes nvme raid 0 plus 1 to 10 gbps requires a lot of memory and disk speed rpc node 8 to 16 cores 64 128 gb 1 minus 2 terabytes nvme 1 gbPs stability and availability are crucial indexer 8-16 cores 64-256GB 2-4TB NVMe 1GBPs requires a powerful database test node 4-8 cores 16-32GB 100GB plus NVMe 100MBPs suitable even for mid-level VPS GPUs are not currently mandatory for most Solana components,

as computations occur on the CPU. However, GPUs can be used for specific tasks such as data analysis, machine learning, and indexing large volumes. Dedicated servers are preferable, especially for validators, because they pro-Veed, full control over hardware, high performance instability, scalability options, lack of noisy neighbors, unlike VPS. VPS is suitable only for RPC nodes, indexers, test nodes, cloud solutions, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure are possible but require proper configuration under Solana load to avoid delays and overloads. US, European, and UK market of hosters. Readymade solutions and universal providers

The market offers both specialized hosters providing readymade blockchain solutions and universal providers that can be adapted for Solana needs. Universal hosters. Hostkey. Powerful servers with AMD Epyc, Ryzen processors featuring many cores, high throughput network, and locations in various Hostkey, powerful servers for Solana validators, cryptocurrency payments, flexible configuration. AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, cloud solutions offering flexibility but more complex to optimize for Solana. Specialized Hosters, Chainstack, managed nodes, elastic RPC, free plans, cryptocurrency payment options. Blockdimin, enterprise level, supports multiple networks, SLA and monitoring. Dsnyx, specializes in blockchain, offers GPU, VPS, dedicated servers, supports Solana, Ethereum,

Cosmos, and other networks. Comparative table of providers-hoster host or validator RPC testnet price node hostkey check mark check mark check mark from 349 euros per month validator flexible configurations ready made and custom built servers cherry servers check mark check mark check mark from $798 month bare metal

EPYC back loud check mark check mark check mark from $1,800 per month custom order chainstack crossmark checkmark crossmark from $0 managed nodes to SNIX$500 plus Month specialization in blockchain AWS warning More complex to configure, dollar scalability choosing machines for Solana using the Hostkey provider EXAMPL-EHOSTKEY offers several types of servers suitable for various tasks within the Solana network. Let's explore which options are best suited for different blockchain components. VPS, virtual private server. Suitable for test validator, DevNet, RPC node, indexers, recommended plans V2 V3 Ryzen or higher VM V2 heavy 8 cores 16 gigabytes RAM 240

gigabytes NVME from 22 euros per month VM Ryzen 16 8 cores 16 gigabytes RAM 120 gigabytes NVME from 40 euros per month VM VM V3 Ultra, 10 cores, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, from 85 euros per month. VPS Plans, VDS, Instant Dedicated, Suitable for, RPC Node, Indexers, DeFi. Recommended Plan, VDS, Ryzen 64, VDS Instant, custom configured dedicated server, 4th General AMD, Intel, Suitable for, Test Validator, DevNet, RPC Node, Indexers, DeFi, Solana Validator Configurations, EPYC 9354 with 32 cores, 384GB RAM,2 TB NVMe Network 1G from 349 Euros per month EPYC 9354 with 32 cores 768 GB RAM 2x3 84 TB NVMe Network 10G, from 599 euros per month Advantages Fully meets Solana's requirements

Disadvantages Requires manual configuration Server Configurator Total cost of ownership comparison Host or server type monthly cost annual cost comments Hostkey Validator Custom configured, from 349 euros, tilde dollar 390, tilde dollar 468080 economical if European data centers are needed Cherry Servers Validator, EPYC, from $798 from $9,576 SLA99, 97%, Good Quality Backload Validator, Custom Order, from $1,800 from $21,600 high performance level Dysnyx validator bare metal from $500 from $6,000 budget option requires coordination

AUS validator EC2m6A 16 extra large plus EBS from $1,200 to $ $14400 challenges with disks and network hostkey RPC node Ryzen 64 from 119 euros $130 from $1560 ideal for small business cherry servers RPC node i7bm from $199 from $23,388 more scalability options HOSCKEY test validator V2, V3, Ryzen From 22 euros, tilde dollar 25 From $660 most economical for development conclusion

For specific types of Solana nodes, certain server types are necessary VPS, for testing and development VDS, for testing and development. VDS, for RPC and DeFi services. GPU, for parallel computations and analytics. Custom configured dedicated servers, for a full-fledged Solana validator. For blockchain projects with medium to high load, VDS or configurable server share sufficient. Read this text also on GitHub.

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