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Tour de Sun 22 Changes to Testnet Incentive Program
An initiative organized by the Solana Foundation, Tour de Sun 22, is set to conclude on March 31, 2024. After its conclusion, a more focused testnet incentive program will be put into place. The Solana Foundation remains committed to the evolution and security of the Solana network, working in collaboration with the community of validators.
Transition Period
Participants currently engaged in the program will remain eligible for the existing incentive structure until the end of March. The final incentive will be distributed on April 8.
Purpose of the Program
The primary goal of the program is to establish a foundation for incentives targeting the latest validator operators contributing to the testnet. Historically, participation in the testnet has been a prerequisite for operators seeking stake delegation from the Foundation on their mainnet beta validator. Both mainnet beta programs have been designed to address various challenges, such as prolonged queue times, enabling the introduction of new experiments.
Enhancements to the Delegation Program
An upgrade has been introduced to the Solana Foundation Delegation Program for Mainnet Validators, aimed at providing the validator community and the decentralized network with enhanced incentive mechanisms. The recent program offers a specific period of support for nodes that cover a new validator’s voting costs and, based on their ability to attract external investment, a delegation from the Foundation. This approach encourages operators to explore external investment avenues through intermediaries and stake pools.
Future Incentives
As per the delegation program, all forthcoming testnet incentives will be distributed among deserving participants. Each validator will be entitled to a monthly bonus of up to $250 for a period of six months, locked for a year of SOL. Payments will be processed once the operator has successfully run a functional node on the mainnet for a minimum of ten epochs and is deemed eligible for a mainnet delegation from the Foundation.
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