Solana is set to launch significant protocol upgrades in 2026, aimed at enhancing transaction speeds and reducing costs. The Alpenglow update, expected in the first half of the year, will cut transaction finality time to 100–150 milliseconds, making Solana one of the fastest blockchain networks. This upgrade, supported by a 98% approval from the validator community, will also eliminate voting fees, lowering entry barriers for smaller validators and promoting decentralization. Additionally, the SIMD-0266 proposal, scheduled for late 2026, will introduce the P-token standard to replace the existing SPL token program. This change is projected to reduce resource usage by up to 98%, freeing up block space and increasing throughput. These upgrades are anticipated to enhance Solana's infrastructure, meeting the demands of financial applications and potentially boosting demand for its native token, SOL.