Akash Network has approved a major blockchain transition, with 97.3% of participating AKT token holders voting in favor of moving the network's token infrastructure from its Cosmos-based blockchain to Solana. The decision is expected to reduce operating costs and simplify the network's infrastructure as Akash expands its decentralized computing marketplace for artificial intelligence and GPU services. In practical terms, the vote reissues AKT as a Solana-native token while Akash's computing services continue running through a staged transition.

The governance vote, conducted between October 26 and November 2, 2026, recorded participation from approximately 69.4% of eligible voting power. Around 60 million AKT tokens supported the proposal, while approximately 796,000 voted against it. Cosmos-based projects run independent blockchains, so decisions of this kind are settled through on-chain governance, in which voting power is weighted by staked tokens.

The approved Proposal 346 establishes a 1:1 conversion of AKT into a Solana Program Library (SPL) token, Solana's token standard, and introduces a one-way migration bridge that will remain available for two years. The new token is expected to launch within two to three weeks of approval, subject to the completion of two independent security audits, a standard safeguard before new token infrastructure goes live.

The results are in:

You decided, and it wasn’t close. Nearly 70% of staked AKT turned out, and 97.27% voted YES to bring Akash to Solana.

Thank you for showing up for your network. Now we build.

— Akash Network (@akashnet) November 2, 2026

Akash Expects Lower Blockchain Operating Costs

Akash operates a decentralized computing marketplace in which customers submit computing requirements and independent providers, including data centers and GPU owners, compete to supply the necessary resources.

The network currently runs its own Cosmos-based blockchain, an arrangement that requires approximately 100 validators to secure transactions and maintain network operations. It also obliges Akash to maintain customized software and infrastructure to keep the sovereign chain running. Sovereign chains give projects full control over their execution environment, but they also place the entire cost of consensus, validator coordination and software upkeep on the project itself.

The company believes migrating to Solana will significantly reduce these expenses. According to Akash's estimates, processing transactions across its entire marketplace could cost approximately 0.075 SOL per day, with median transaction fees around $0.001. The marketplace currently processes roughly 15,000 transactions daily, compared with an estimated 112 million transactions across the Solana network as a whole.

Akash co-founder Greg Osuri has argued that maintaining a sovereign blockchain requires substantial infrastructure spending without necessarily providing additional benefits for the marketplace. Moving to Solana is intended to eliminate much of that operational burden.

Marketplace Migration Requires Separate Approval

Although the AKT token migration itself has received governance approval, the transition of the actual computing marketplace remains a separate process that will require another proposal.

The planned migration proceeds through several technical stages. Akash intends to introduce a provider testnet that will operate for at least six weeks, with participation from 25 or more operators. Following the testnet, the network will conduct a 14-day migration rehearsal that must be completed without significant problems. Existing computing workloads are expected to continue operating for approximately 90 days while customers and providers move to the new infrastructure.

Stakers face additional adjustments during the process. AKT holders who have locked their tokens to secure the existing blockchain will need to complete a 21-day unbonding period, a cooldown during which staked tokens remain locked before they become transferable. The transition will also end the inflation-based staking rewards associated with the original blockchain. Akash has indicated that it will disclose replacement mechanisms before the migration takes effect.

Helium and Render Migrations Offer Mixed Results

Akash's decision follows similar blockchain transitions by Helium and Render, both of which moved their token infrastructure to Solana. Helium abandoned its independent blockchain in 2023, while Render completed its migration from Ethereum to Solana on November 2, 2023. Although both transitions were technically successful, their tokens subsequently experienced substantial price declines.

Render fell from its March 2024 peak of $13.53 to approximately $1.51, representing an 88.8% decline. Helium's HNT token also lost roughly 80.8% of its value over three years. During the same period, SOL gained approximately 120.3%. These developments illustrate that moving to a more established blockchain does not automatically translate into stronger token performance.

Solana Could Attract More Decentralized Computing Projects

The migration could encourage other Cosmos-based projects to reconsider the costs of maintaining independent blockchains. Akash has identified several projects, including Kujira, Comdex, Picasso, Quasar and Evmos, that have faced operational changes or winding-down processes. Noble also departed from its previous ecosystem on March 18.

Projects with specialized transaction-processing requirements may face different considerations. dYdX, for example, continues to require customized block-processing capabilities.

Akash's transition could nonetheless strengthen Solana's position in decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), which coordinate real-world hardware such as GPU clusters through token incentives, and in AI computing more broadly, by making it easier for customers and developers to access competing GPU marketplaces.

AKT Holders Face Questions Over Long-Term Benefits

Despite the overwhelming governance support, the immediate market response has been relatively subdued. At the time of the report, AKT traded around $0.61, gaining 0.3% over 24 hours but declining 12.1% during the preceding week. Solana traded near $93. AKT's price also remained below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages of approximately $0.67, despite gaining 71.5% year to date.

The migration could benefit Akash as a computing platform by reducing infrastructure expenses and simplifying network operations. However, token holders will need to assess the consequences of losing existing staking rewards and the effectiveness of any replacement incentives once disclosed. The near-term milestones to watch are concrete: the two security audits gating the new token's launch, the disclosure of replacement staking mechanisms before the migration takes effect, and the separate governance proposal required to move the marketplace itself. The long-term outcome will depend on a successful migration, marketplace adoption, and whether lower operating costs translate into stronger demand for decentralized computing services.

Source: CoinTrust