blockchainsecurity

Historic DDoS Attack on Solana – network under intense pressure

In recent days, the Solana blockchain has been the target of one of the largest DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks in cryptocurrency history. The attack peaked at around 6 terabits per second (Tbps) – a massive amount of network traffic aimed at overwhelming the network infrastructure and disrupting normal operations.

DDoS involves sending a massive amount of requests simultaneously to force nodes (validators) to attempt to handle them, slowing down or blocking the system. In the context of blockchain, this means trying to delay or prevent the confirmation of transactions.

At a time when blockchain networks are increasingly being tested under real-world pressure, Solana is facing one of its toughest challenges yet — and quietly passing the test. The network has been operating under a sustained, large-scale DDoS attack, reportedly peaking near 6 terabits per second (Tbps), a level that places it among the largest attacks ever recorded against any distributed system.

Despite the scale, most users wouldn’t even know an attack is happening.

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Understanding the Scale of the Attack

The ongoing attack was highlighted by Pipe Network, which reported that Solana has been hit by billions of packets per second. Under normal circumstances, traffic of this magnitude would be expected to cause:

Rising latency

Missed slots

Delayed or failed transaction confirmations

However, Solana’s live telemetry tells a very different story.

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Key Metrics Tell the Real Story

Even at peak attack intensity, Solana’s core performance metrics have remained stable:

Median transaction confirmation: ~450 milliseconds

p90 confirmation time: under 700 milliseconds

Slot latency: holding steady at 0–1 slots

In practical terms, traders and everyday users are still experiencing sub-second confirmations, with no widespread outages or noticeable degradation.

Solana Labs co-founder and COO Raj Gokal responded to the situation by pointing out how little impact the attack has had on actual usage, emphasizing that performance has remained intact despite the pressure.

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Validator Count and Network Resilience Debate

The attack has reignited a broader industry discussion around validator counts and network resilience. This debate intensified after a separate DDoS incident on the Sui network, which reportedly caused transaction delays and block production issues.

Some voices argued that lower validator counts make networks more fragile. However, others pushed back against the idea that simply increasing the number of validators is a guaranteed solution.

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Quality vs Quantity in Validators

Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius, offered a more nuanced view. While acknowledging that validator diversity matters, he argued that:

A smaller group of highly professional, well-resourced validators

Can sometimes provide stronger resistance than

Thousands of poorly configured or underpowered nodes

He also confirmed publicly that Solana has been under a colossal DDoS attack for more than a week, calling the lack of visible user impact a strong testament to Solana’s engineering.

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Why Validator Numbers Still Matter

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko added an important technical clarification. Validator count becomes especially relevant during leader transitions:

If one leader completes a block while the next leader is under attack

A higher validator count forces attackers to sustain pressure across more of the network

This dramatically increases the cost and complexity of disrupting block production, making attacks far less efficient.

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Independent Confirmation From Network Observers

Independent data aggregator SolanaFloor summarized the situation clearly:

Solana has been under a sustained DDoS attack for roughly a week

Traffic peaked near 6 Tbps, ranking among the largest attacks ever observed

Network data continues to show:

Sub-second confirmations

Stable slot latency

By comparison, similar attacks on other networks have resulted in mass delays and degraded performance, highlighting the difference in resilience.

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Blockchains Are Now Tier-1 DDoS Targets

According to David Rhodus, founder of Permissionless Labs and a contributor to Pipe Network, this event marks a shift in how blockchains should be viewed:

Public blockchains are no longer niche experiments

They are now Tier-1 DDoS targets, similar to major internet infrastructure

At 6 Tbps, the attack is clearly industrial-scale, not the work of casual attackers. This reflects the growing importance and economic weight of blockchain networks.

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Practical Lessons for Validators

For validators, the takeaway is straightforward:

Avoid reliance on a single hosting provider

Use multi-region deployments

Maintain backups across multiple infrastructure providers

Even when the network itself remains operational, individual validator resilience depends heavily on infrastructure diversity.

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Quiet Reliability Is the Real Win

Solana’s biggest claim from this episode is not about price action or headlines — it’s about reliability under extreme conditions. The network continued to function normally, without dramatic outages or user-visible failures, even while under sustained attack.

This kind of quiet resilience may not stand out on a chart, but it is critical for real-world usability, especially for trading, DeFi, and payment applications that depend on consistent performance.

At the time of writing, SOL was trading around $126, but the more important signal lies elsewhere: Solana demonstrated that it can operate smoothly even when pushed to the limits.

#solana $SOL #BlockchainSecurity
#CryptoInfrastructure
#Web3
#BinanceSquare

In the world of blockchain, network attacks often mean slow confirmations, stuck transactions, and user frustration. But this time, the story is a bit different. Solana faced a colossal DDoS attack that has become one of the largest attacks in internet history in terms of scale — and yet, the experience for normal users remained almost unchanged.

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6 Tbps DDoS: Understanding the Scale is Important

Pipe Network confirmed on X that the DDoS attack on Solana peaked at 6 terabits per second (Tbps). This means:

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is moving to finalize a landmark settlement with Illusory Systems Inc., the company behind the now-infamous Nomad crypto bridge that was drained of nearly all user funds in a massive 2022 hack. The proposed agreement follows a lengthy investigation and includes strong new obligations for the firm.
If approved, Illusory will be permanently banned from misleading users about its security protocols. The company would be forced to implement a formal cybersecurity program, undergo third-party audits every two years, and return any unrecovered funds if found.

A $186 Million Wake-Up Call for the Industry
According to the FTC, the hack resulted in an estimated $186 million in stolen digital assets, with over $100 million in losses absorbed directly by retail users. The attack was made possible by what the agency describes as “severe negligence” in Nomad’s internal response systems.
One of the most startling failures involved a delayed reaction due to the absence of any structured emergency protocol. “At the time of the breach, the platform relied on an engineer sending code via airplane Wi-Fi,” the FTC stated. “That delay proved fatal.”
The incident exposed a critical flaw introduced in a smart contract during a June 2022 update. On August 1st, hackers exploited the vulnerability, draining assets across multiple tokens – including Ethereum (ETH), USDC, DAI, and WBTC – within hours.

FTC: False Security Claims and Ignored Best Practices
The FTC accuses Illusory of marketing Nomad as a “security-first” solution while failing to follow even basic software development standards. Despite publicly claiming that all smart contracts underwent extensive testing, engineers admitted post-hack that proper testing protocols had often been skipped.
Worse yet, the platform lacked any dedicated reporting or escalation procedures for potential exploits. The agency argues this directly violated the Federal Trade Commission Act and left users dangerously exposed.

Settlement Under Review – Public Comments Invited
The FTC’s signed consent agreement is currently open to a 30-day public comment period. If no objections arise, the settlement could soon be finalized. It includes mandatory security reforms, financial restitution, and oversight of Illusory Systems’ future operations.
Nomad, launched in 2021, was a cross-chain bridge enabling token transfers between blockchains like Ethereum and Avalanche. After the breach, the team managed to recover just $22 million of the stolen funds.

Arrest in Israel Adds Another Twist
In a dramatic postscript, Israeli authorities earlier this year arrested Alexander Gurevich, the alleged mastermind behind the Nomad exploit. According to investigators, Gurevich attempted to flee to Moscow shortly after changing his legal name. He was apprehended at the airport before boarding his flight.
The Nomad case underscores a critical need for tighter cybersecurity standards across Web3 infrastructure – and offers a stark reminder that regulators are no longer sitting on the sidelines.

#CryptoHack , #BlockchainSecurity , #CyberSecurity , #Web3 , #DigitalAssets

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