Solana Unveils Powerful DvP Standard for Faster Settlement

Solana Foundation has announced Solana DvP, an open-source escrow program that has been created to offer financial institutions a shared standard for delivery-versus-payment settlement on the Solana blockchain. Released under the MIT license, the program aims to replace bespoke smart contracts with reusable infrastructure for setting assets and payments atomically.

Under this model, both sides of a transaction settle altogether or neither does, helping decrease counterparty and principal risk. Solana DvP has been created to support institutional requirements through isolated escrow, enforced deadlines and compatibility with supported token standards. J.P. Morgan provided input on securities settlement practices as the project was developed. The foundation is now inviting design partners and early participants ahead of the program’s production launch.

How Does Solana DvP Change Institutional Settlement? 

Solana DvP is piloted to tackle a drawback faced by institutions moving financial transactions on-chain. That is, many have depended on bespoke smart contracts rather than a shared settlement standard. The new proposition aims to provide a common approach that institutions and developers can use across the Solana ecosystem. Delivery versus payment is a security settlement mechanism that links the transfer of an asset to the corresponding payment. Both legs of a transaction are completed altogether, reducing the risk that one party transfers an asset without receiving the due payment. 

In conventional markets, settlements can involve clearinghouses, depositories, and custodians across a process that ties up capital for one or two days. Solana DVP aims to compress that process into one atomic transaction with finality in seconds rather than days. The program uses isolated escrow to coordinate both sides of a transaction. If settlement conditions are not met, the transaction does not fulfill as intended. It enforces deadlines, giving counterparties a fixed framework for completing the settlement. Solana Foundation and J.P. Morgan contributed expertise in institutional settlement practices and needs. 

This input helped mold the program around the requirements of the financial institutions. The shared standard is intended to be available for adoption across the wider Solana ecosystem. Catherine Gu, head of product, Digital Assets at Solana Foundation, said, atomic settlement removes counterparty risk that are inherited in conventional finance. She describes Solana DvP as an open standard on public infrastructure that allows settlement finality in a few seconds.

What Features and Institutional Support Does Solana DvP Offer? 

Solana DvP is released under the MIT license and is designed as an open-source program that institutions can use, adapt and build on. It is permissionless, has undergone external security audits and is ready to use with real funds. The program supports SPL Token and Token-2022, including extensions that governed issuers may rely on. These include permanent delegate functionality, pausable tokens and transfer hooks. The support is intended to make the settlement standard suitable for a range of tokenized assets and institutional requirements.

Solana DvP can be used by two counterparties working with a settlement agent, which may be a bank, custodian or exchange. The program is not restricted to a single settlement provider, allowing distinct institutions to work within the same open framework. J.P. Morgan’s contribution focused on institutional securities settlement practices. Rhodel D’souza, Head of Markets Digital Assets at J.P. Morgan said a shared standard for atomic delivery-versus-payment could help institutional market participants operate at scale without introducing settlement risk and counterparty exposure.

Solana Foundation also said it plans to add privacy features to allow private and confidential trade settlements. The foundation is welcoming design partners and early participants ahead of the rollout. The next phase will involve institutions and other participants exploring the program before broader adoption.