Starke Finance Solana Validator Report - October 2025

Estimated Reading Time: 19 minutes

Summary

In October, Starke Finance continued to demonstrate strong operational performance within the Solana validator ecosystem, maintaining 99.99% uptime, near-perfect vote success, and minimal skipped leader slots. Our validator delivered an APY of 6.7%, surpassing the network average of 6.45%, supported by zero commission on both base and Jito MEV rewards - ensuring maximum yield for our delegators.

While total stake declined by 17.77% due to network-wide reallocations and adjustments from major programs such as Marinade, the Solana Foundation Delegation Program, and JPool, independent delegations remained stable, reflecting continued community confidence. Notably, a significant inflow from Jito in epoch 870 reinforced this trust and contributed to stake recovery later in the month, following the implementation of JIP-25, which expanded Jito's stake distribution from 200 to 400 validators and adjusted its allocation criteria - resulting in a new +30,000 SOL delegation to Starke Finance.

With a diversified base of institutional and community delegators, Starke Finance remains a resilient and high-performing validator, consistently ranking among the top tier of the network in reliability and efficiency. As we prepare to launch our managed tokenized fund service, we are focused on expanding organic delegations and delivering sustainable, above-average returns - strengthening our role as a trusted, performance-driven contributor to Solana's decentralized future.

General Overview

Starke Finance has been an active participant in the Solana validator ecosystem since April 2024, maintaining a strong and consistent operational record throughout our time on the network. We have demonstrated reliability, stability, and a commitment to best practices, contributing to the overall security and decentralization of the Solana ecosystem.

In October, we relocated our validator operations from Amsterdam to London as part of our migration to Edgevana's infrastructure, a move aimed at potentially attracting more stake. During this transition, we also upgraded from version 3.0.6 to 3.0.8, placing Starke Finance among the 14.86% of Solana validators already running the latest release. Operating under the identity key 3s97yjq2MhoPVPC3U9VeE3Z5S643Pweovg88ysvrQPw5, our validator now delivers greater stability, improved transaction processing, and optimized resource utilization, ensuring full alignment with Solana's most recent network advancements.

With a 0% commission on both standard staking rewards and Jito MEV rewards, we enable delegators to maximize their yield from their stake. This competitive reward structure, combined with our consistent operational performance, reinforces Starke Finance's reputation as a dependable, performance-driven validator and a trusted contributor to the network.

In addition to our technical excellence, we place a strong emphasis on security and regulatory compliance. We adhere to ISO 27001 and SOC 2 standards, underscoring our dedication to maintaining the highest levels of operational integrity and data protection.

Source: Starke Finance, Firedancer (as of October 31, 2025).

Validator Performance

This section details key Solana validator performance metrics from Starke Finance's operations over Epochs 857-872 (September 30 - October 31, 2025), providing an in-depth look at yield for delegators, uptime, and overall staking efficiency during the month.

APY

In October, Starke Finance continued to outperform the network average in returns for delegators. Our validator recorded an annualized percentage yield (APY) of 6.7%, surpassing the network's 6.45% benchmark by 24 basis points.

This robust performance is the result of our zero-commission approach, near-perfect uptime of 99.99%, and active participation in consensus - key factors that collectively enhance overall staking returns.

Source: JPool.

APY is based on a 10-epoch median, combining base staking and Jito MEV yields.

Why is Solana's average APY declining?

• More staked SOL, same reward pool: As total staked SOL grows, inflation-based rewards are shared among more stakers, reducing per-SOL yield.
• Less MEV and fewer priority fees: Earlier yield boosts from MEV and network congestion have normalized as Solana stabilized.
• Tighter competition: With more validators running at near 100% uptime, yield differentials have narrowed - a sign of a stronger, more efficient network.

What to expect next

Short-term yields may trend slightly lower due to ongoing inflation adjustments, a steady increase in total staked SOL, and cluster-wide efficiency gains. Still, higher transaction volumes could support recovery due to an increase in block inclusion competition, generating higher MEV yields.

Amid these shifts, Starke Finance remains positioned to lead - combining robust infrastructure, full MEV revenue share, and a zero-commission model to deliver consistent, above-average rewards for our community of starkers.

Timely Vote Credits (TVC)

Over the past month, Starke Finance maintained an average Timely Vote Credit (TVC) of 6.9 million, consistently outperforming the cluster average of 6.8 million. This sustained efficiency reflects our validator's stable infrastructure, average vote latency of 1.007 seconds, and optimized vote execution, ensuring reliable participation in Solana's consensus rounds.

Throughout epochs 857 to 872, our validator demonstrated strong consistency, with rankings ranging from the top 100 to the top 350, and an overall average position within the top 20-25% of all validators. Notably, we reached a best rank of 122, underscoring our competitiveness and responsiveness within the network.

For stakers, this high level of performance translates into steady rewards and greater reliability, as timely voting plays a key role in maximizing yield under Solana's TVC-based reward structure. Overall, Starke Finance's latest TVC results confirm our status as a high-performing and dependable validator, ensuring that every delegated SOL continues to operate at peak efficiency.

Source: JPool

Skipped Leader Slots

Starke Finance maintained an exceptional leader slot performance throughout the past 15 Solana epochs, achieving a 0% skipped leader slot rate in nearly all periods - meaning our validator successfully produced every assigned block. The only deviation occurred in epoch 867, where a 1.41% skip rate was recorded due to a temporary Paladin client issue following the version 3.0.8 update. This was promptly resolved, with subsequent epochs returning to a flawless 0% skip rate. During this time, the cluster average skip rate ranged between 0.05% and 0.28%, confirming that our node continues to outperform the network average and deliver maximum consistency and staking efficiency for our delegators.

Source: JPool

Uptime (30 days)

Starke Finance maintained an impressive 99.99% uptime over the last 30-day period, ensuring uninterrupted participation in Solana's consensus and block production processes. This exceptional reliability underscores the resilience of our infrastructure and our commitment to operational excellence, providing stakers with consistent reward generation and seamless network performance.

Supported by proactive monitoring, redundant systems, and a focus on network performance, Starke Finance continues to offer a secure, dependable, and high-performing environment - one where your stake works efficiently and confidently around the clock.

Vote Success Rate

Throughout the past month, Starke Finance achieved a near-perfect vote success rate, recording 100% consistency across all but one epoch. The brief dip to 98.59% in epoch 867 was linked to a temporary Paladin client issue following the 3.0.8 update, which was quickly resolved.

Overall, our validator's performance remained above the cluster average of around 99.8-99.9%, demonstrating exceptional reliability in confirming transactions and securing the network.

This unwavering accuracy ensures that every vote contributes to consensus and reward generation, reinforcing both staker returns and Solana's network integrity.

Source: Solana Beach

Average Block Reward (SOL)

Throughout epochs 857-872, Starke Finance maintained steady and competitive block rewards, averaging 0.015 SOL per block, which remained closely aligned with the network average of 0.017 SOL. Despite natural fluctuations in cluster performance, our validator consistently delivered reliable and efficient reward generation, underscoring the stability and precision of our operations.

While some epochs showed slightly lower reward capture due to network-wide variability, Starke Finance continued to perform within the upper performance range of validators. Thanks to our consistent block production and optimized configuration, we remain focused on maximizing real yield for stakers, even as network conditions evolve.

Source: SolanaCompass

Staking & Market Share

This section presents a comprehensive overview of Starke Finance's staking performance and network standing during October. It analyzes key metrics such as total stake growth, market share, delegator composition, stake fluctuations across epochs, and overall stake account activity. Collectively, these insights provide a clear picture of how Starke Finance continues to strengthen its position within the Solana ecosystem, demonstrating operational resilience, consistent returns, and steady community trust that reinforce our validator's long-term stability and autonomy.

Stake Accounts

The number of Starke Finance stake accounts declined sharply during October, following our strategic decision to withdraw from the Marinade stake pool due to its high fee structure. Because Marinade operates through multiple stake accounts, this withdrawal resulted in a visible reduction in the total account count.

However, this was a deliberate optimization measure, not a loss of delegator support. Independent stakers remain steady, and our validator continues to maintain a solid foundation of committed delegations focused on efficiency, transparency, and long-term growth.

Source: Solana Beach

Total SOL Staked

In October, the total stake delegated to Starke Finance decreased from 312,304 SOL to 252,425 SOL, representing a 17.77% monthly reduction. This decrease was driven by reduced delegations from major programs including Marinade Finance, Solana Foundation's delegation program, and JPool, which temporarily suspended its partnership with us pending the launch of our managed tokenized fund service.

Despite the reduction in total stake, independent delegations have remained steady, and our validator continues to benefit from strong community support. This decrease reflects a network-wide adjustment, as many validators have experienced similar reductions following shifts in stake pool allocations and the Solana Foundation's delegation program. Only validators backed primarily by private or self-stake have remained unaffected by these changes.

For Starke Finance, this represents a strategic transition rather than a setback - we continue to maintain solid relationships with key stake pools, ensuring consistent performance and sustainable returns. Our APY remains above the network average, reaffirming our reliability and resilience within the evolving Solana ecosystem.

Source: Stakewiz

Stake Market Share

As of October 31, Starke Finance represented approximately 0.06% of the total SOL staked across the Solana network and 0.07% of the total SOL staked through native (non-liquid) staking. While this share remains modest, it reflects a stable and resilient position within a highly competitive validator ecosystem.

Looking ahead, we remain focused on expanding our organic delegations and strengthening our network presence. The upcoming launch of our managed tokenized fund service is expected to serve as a key growth driver, helping increase our stake share while maintaining the high performance, transparency, and reliability that define Starke Finance's operations.

Active SOL Stake Distribution by Delegator

As of the end of October, Starke Finance's active stake totaled 252,425 SOL, reflecting a balanced mix of institutional and community delegations. The Solana Foundation Delegation Program (SFDP) remains the largest contributor, representing 35.81% of the total stake, followed by rkSOL, our own liquid staking pool, with 28.87%. Other notable contributors include Jito (14.41%), DoubleZero (9.18%), The Vault (3.60%), dynoSOL (3.02%), JPool (1.45%), Aero (0.38%), and BlazeStake (0.18%), alongside a diverse group of independent delegators accounting for 3.12%.

This distribution demonstrates healthy diversification and a strong foundation of institutional partnerships, complemented by a steadily growing base of independent stakers. Together, these contributors reflect continued confidence in Starke Finance's performance, transparency, and reliability within the Solana validator ecosystem.

Source: Solscan

Net Change in Stake

Stake movements across epochs 857-872 reflected a month of continued adjustment within the broader Solana staking ecosystem, resulting in a net outflow of approximately -48,525 SOL. Most mid-month epochs recorded steady deactivations, primarily driven by stake pool reallocations and adjustments from major programs such as the Solana Foundation, Marinade, and JPool.

A notable exception occurred in epoch 870, which saw a +31,595 SOL inflow, mainly attributed to Jito's renewed delegation to our validator following the implementation of JIP-25, which expanded the validator set to 400 and updated allocation criteria. This inflow helped offset earlier withdrawals and marked a period of stabilization and renewed confidence in our performance. While total stake levels ended lower than at the start of the month, Starke Finance continues to demonstrate resilience and strong community trust, maintaining solid footing amid evolving network-wide delegation dynamics.

Source: SolanaCompass

Maximize your Solana rewards with Starke Finance

Starke Finance provides a next-generation staking experience designed for both institutional and individual participants who want to earn more from their Solana (SOL) holdings. Our mission is to make staking simple, transparent, and rewarding - offering direct access to high-performance validation with zero complexity.

Through non-custodial staking, you always maintain full control of your assets while benefiting from enterprise-grade infrastructure, optimized uptime, and secure reward distribution. Our validator is built to maximize real yield through efficient performance, seamless operation, and fair reward structures.

When staking with Starke Finance, you can expect:

• Higher yield potential: our infrastructure is optimized to capture every possible reward, including Jito MEV returns.
• Zero fees: 0% validator commission - you keep 100% of your earned SOL.
• Transparency & control: track your rewards at any time.
• Reliable Infrastructure: professionally operated systems built for speed, security, and consistency.

Whether you're a seasoned investor or a new participant in the Solana ecosystem, Starke Finance delivers the performance, transparency, and confidence you need to grow your stake securely.

Stake with Starke Finance - earn more, stay in control, and be part of a validator built for the future of Solana.

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared by Starke Finance to provide transparency and insight into the performance of its Solana validator. The information presented is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. While all data and metrics are derived from reliable sources and on-chain analytics, Starke Finance makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or future reliability of this information. Validator performance, rewards, and staking yields are subject to change based on network conditions and protocol updates. Readers and delegators are encouraged to conduct their own due diligence before making staking or investment decisions.