Our Chicago & L.A locations are now connected to the DoubleZero Network

For years, the map of Solana validator infrastructure has told the same story: peak performance meant deployments in either Amsterdam or Frankfurt. 

The reason was simple enough: lower latency between peers meant more rewards, fewer missed blocks, and better economics.

Now, the paradigm for network performance is shifting heavily, and validators will no longer be penalized for deploying elsewhere.

With Latitude.sh's direct integration into the DoubleZero Network, we're creating new performance corridors that fundamentally change the validator calculus. Our Chicago and Los Angeles locations are now connected to a 100 Gbps private backbone, purpose-built for distributed systems. 

What is Wrong With the Public Internet

Let's be real for a second: the public internet wasn't designed for what we're asking it to do. It's a best-effort network built for simple things like email, web browsing, and streaming video. It’s not meant for microsecond-sensitive blockchain consensus where every millisecond of latency affects your ability to participate in block production.

Traditional internet routing adds unnecessary hops, creates unpredictable jitter, and forces your validator traffic through congested pathways shared with literally everything else online. When running high-throughput blockchain infrastructure, especially on networks like Solana, this randomness directly translates into missed blocks and lost rewards.

The European concentration of validators wasn't some accident or preference. It was validators voting with their infrastructure dollars, choosing performance over geographic diversity because the public internet made decentralization expensive. 

You couldn't afford to be principled about it. You either went where you could get the best performance, or you got left behind.

DoubleZero: Performance for Distributed Systems

So what's DoubleZero doing differently? They're building what the blockchain industry has needed from day one: a dedicated network layer optimized specifically for distributed systems. Instead of forcing blockchain traffic through traditional internet infrastructure, DoubleZero creates direct highways between data centers and servers running blockchain nodes.

The architecture is surprisingly elegant:

Two-Ring System:

• Outer Ring: Acts as a security checkpoint, filtering spam and blocking attacks before they reach your nodes

• Inner Ring: Provides ultra-fast, dedicated lanes for verified data to travel between network participants

What makes it work:

• Direct server-to-server connections that eliminate unnecessary routing hops

• Smart filtering through specialized hardware (FPGAs) that removes junk traffic before it becomes your problem

• Decentralized infrastructure powered by contributed fiber capacity from partners like us

• Deterministic networking that delivers consistent, predictable performance—not "best effort"

The result? Lower latency, higher throughput, and the kind of reliability that validator operations actually require. No more crossing your fingers during high-traffic periods.

Latitude.sh + DoubleZero

After the initial integration in London, Latitude.sh knew DoubleZero represented more than just incremental improvement. It was infrastructure evolution. That's why we've now directly connected our Chicago and Los Angeles locations to DoubleZero's 100 Gbps private backbone.

Here's what this means for your validator:

Your traffic no longer touches the public internet. Instead, it routes through a dedicated, private fiber network with:

• Deterministic propagation times between key validator regions (no more surprises)

• Lower jitter for more consistent block participation

• Higher throughput without competing for bandwidth with someone streaming Netflix

• Improved security through dedicated blockchain-only pathways

For validators, the benefits show up where they matter the most:

• Faster block propagation and transaction confirmation times

• Fewer missed blocks and more consistent earnings

• Better uptime when everyone else is getting hammered by traffic spikes

• The ability to colocate strategically without worrying about performance penalties

Being on DoubleZero Means Freedom

This is the paradigm shift we've been waiting for: geographic decentralization without performance tradeoffs.

Validators can now expand beyond the traditional European core and deploy closer to their own users, teams, and strategic preferences, without the latency penalty that previously made such decisions economically irrational. Want to run infrastructure in the US because that's where your team is? Now you can actually do that without sacrificing rewards.

Chicago and Los Angeles aren't just new deployment options. They're proof that performance infrastructure can enable true decentralization rather than forcing concentration. And as the DoubleZero network expands across 26 metro regions in 16 countries, we're watching the validator map redraw itself in real time.

What Latitude.sh Customers Get

For PoS Validators:

• Direct access to a 100 Gbps private backbone in Chicago and Los Angeles

• Bare-metal servers optimized for validator workloads (we recommend the m4.metal.large for validators)

• Private routing that keeps your validator traffic off the public internet entirely

• First-mover advantage as the industry shifts toward performance-first network infrastructure

For RPC Providers:

• Ultra-low latency connections to validator nodes

• More reliable endpoints when everyone's trying to mint the same NFT

• Better performance for latency-sensitive applications that can't afford dropped requests

• Optimized bare-metal configurations (like the rs4.metal.large)

For Traders and DeFi Protocols:

• Faster transaction confirmation times (because milliseconds matter)

• More consistent performance during high-volatility periods

• Infrastructure that matches the speed demands of modern DeFi

For Everyone Building in Web3:

• Access to the emerging standard for blockchain connectivity

• Infrastructure designed for distributed systems from the physical layer up—not retrofitted from consumer internet tech

• Participation in what we're calling the "Builders' Internet"—a new layer of private connectivity powering decentralized systems

The Future Is Deterministic

Here's the uncomfortable truth: if you're still validating over the public internet, you're already behind.

The next generation of blockchain infrastructure won't be built on best-effort networking. It will be built on deterministic, purpose-designed connectivity that treats blockchain workloads as first-class citizens, not afterthoughts competing with cat videos for bandwidth.

DoubleZero is operating in testnet now, with mainnet-beta launching soon across their global footprint. As more validators migrate to private backbone connectivity, the performance gap will only widen.

This isn't just hosting. It's participation in a new internet built for distributed systems—and you get to be part of the first wave.

Ready to deploy on the Builders' Internet?

Setting up is straightforward. You'll need to establish a logical connection on each server hosting your blockchain workloads: check out the step-by-step instructions in the Malbec Labs documentation or visit the DoubleZero website for detailed documentation and network specifications.

New to Latitude.sh? You can create a free account in seconds and deploy your first instance immediately—no lengthy onboarding, no sales calls; just infrastructure that works.

The future of validator infrastructure is being built right now, and we're glad you're here to be part of it.