In brief

  • Bison Trails is a platform that simplifies the process of running nodes on proof-of-stake blockchain networks.
  • After running Solana testnet nodes, it will now add Solana’s mainnet to its list of supported platforms.
  • Bison Trails users will be able to run validator nodes on Solana, which aspires to be a blockchain that scales without sacrificing decentralization or security.

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Blockchain infrastructure provider Bison Trails announced today that it will enable its users to stake tokens on the Solana blockchain when Solana transitions from testnet to mainnet. 

New York-based Bison Trails is an "infrastructure-as-a-service company” that helps people run nodes on blockchain networks that allow for staking, including Algorand, Cosmos, and Tezos. It also provides opportunities to run nodes on a slew of testnets, from Cardano and Libra (of which it is a member) to Polkadot and ETH 2.0. [Disclosure: ConsenSys, which funds Decrypt, is also an investor in Bison Trails.]

One of the testnets it’s been supporting is Solana, which uses “proof of history” to improve the blockchain’s scalability. In proof of history, nodes in the network verify the order of events. It allows block producers to agree on the state of the network without trusting an external timestamp. It’s meant to improve scalability without degrading security or compromising decentralization.

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When Solana’s mainnet goes live, Bison Trails will allow its users to run validator nodes on it. Other features will include storage rent and archiver clients.

Although Solana token holders can certainly run their own nodes, there’s a benefit to compatibility with Bison Trails. Says CEO Joe Lallouz, “Bison Trails’ support benefits the protocols because we make it easier for a wider and more diverse group of companies or customers to participate in the network without having to develop any of the technical core competency or protocol-specific blockchain infrastructure.”

The addition of Solana strengthens Bison Trails’ raison d'être. “Bison Trails’ mission is to provide superior infrastructure on multiple blockchains, to strengthen the entire ecosystem and democratize access to the decentralized future,” Lallouz told Decrypt.

This comes on the heels of last month's announcement that Bison Trails would add support for the Polkadot and Ontology networks.

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