Solana's validator count has sharply decreased by 64% since early 2023, dropping from approximately 2,500 to under 900. Proponents view this reduction as beneficial, highlighting the elimination of underperforming and malicious validators. Tomas Eminger from RockawayX noted that the network is performing better without these bottlenecks. The Solana Foundation has adjusted its support strategy, removing three validators for every new one added, aiming to decrease dependency on the foundation and enhance decentralization. Despite the reduction, analysts report that the geographical distribution of validators remains diverse, preventing any single provider from dominating the network.