I’ve spent enough time studying high speed chains to realize something uncomfortable, most performance gains come from software optimization, not physical network design. But latency isn’t just code. It’s geography.
That’s why the idea of co located validators in the Fogo architecture caught my attention.
Traditional SVM networks distribute validators globally. That maximizes decentralization, but it also introduces propagation delays. Milliseconds matter when blocks finalize in sub second intervals. Those milliseconds compound into MEV advantages, validator edge, and execution uncertainty.
Co locating validators compresses communication distance. Shorter physical pathways mean lower propagation latency. Lower latency means tighter consensus rounds. Tighter consensus means more deterministic finality.
Sub second finality isn’t just about speed. It’s about reducing the window for extraction games.
What’s interesting about Fogo’s approach is that it treats physical topology as part of protocol design, not an afterthought. That’s a different philosophy. It prioritizes deterministic performance and predictable execution.
Of course, this introduces trade offs around decentralization optics and infrastructure concentration. But if throughput remains competitive while latency variance shrinks, the model becomes economically compelling.
Speed attracts users.
Deterministic finality retains capital.
And that distinction matters more than most people realize.
