In a milestone moment for distributed infrastructure, DoubleZero has launched native multicast support, bringing one of the internet’s most efficient data transport methods to decentralized systems for the first time.
Now live on testnet, the feature allows developers and validators to send a single data packet that can be replicated and delivered to many recipients in milliseconds, without relying on centralized infrastructure or repeating the transmission for each peer.
It marks a foundational shift in how data coordination happens across blockchains and other distributed networks.
Unicast Bottlenecks
Today, most blockchains rely on a unicast model; when a validator needs to reach consensus, it sends the same packet, such as a block proposal or vote message, to every other peer individually. While straightforward, this creates significant bandwidth inefficiencies, especially under high-load conditions.
During peak activity, thousands of duplicate transmissions can congest the network and introduce avoidable latency.
The problem is familiar to teams running validators on high-performance chains like Solana. Despite advances in compute performance, the real bottleneck often lies in communication—broadcasting state changes, syncing validator votes, or distributing real-time data like oracle price updates.
Unicast wasn’t designed for this scale.
A Network Method, Rebuilt
DoubleZero’s multicast implementation replaces that model with a protocol-native alternative. Rather than sending N identical messages to N peers, multicast allows a node to send a single packet that is replicated in-network and delivered only to authorized subscribers.
The system is built on a contributor-powered fiber network and uses ASIC-optimized routing hardware to handle packet replication deep in the data path. Transport configuration, group definitions, and permissioning are all programmable onchain via the DoubleZero ledger, eliminating the need for external coordination or offchain overlays.
In effect, it brings an enterprise-grade networking method (long used by high-frequency trading firms and telecoms) into the public, decentralized domain.
Faster Coordination, Lower Load
By cutting down duplicate messaging and optimizing the transmission path, multicast reduces bandwidth requirements and slashes round-trip latency. It’s particularly useful in scenarios where every node needs to receive the same data at nearly the same time: block propagation, validator voting, real-time telemetry, distributed inference, and oracle feeds.
Validators using the DoubleZero v0.2.2 testnet client can now define multicast groups, assign publishers and subscribers, and begin experimenting with live traffic over the network. Because the infrastructure is geography-aware and fiber-backed, multicast also improves performance across global regions where latency variability can otherwise impact synchronization.
Over time, this capability could help public blockchain networks match or exceed the messaging efficiency of traditional financial infrastructure without compromising decentralization.
What Comes Next
Several teams in the Solana ecosystem are already exploring multicast integration into validator and consensus software. Public experimentation is underway, and broader testnet coverage is expected in the coming months.
For now, the launch of programmable, onchain multicast represents a step-function improvement in distributed coordination—a new default for high-throughput, real-time systems that need to move fast, and do so together.
To learn more, visit: https://doublezero.xyz/multicast
At RockawayX, we’re proud to back DoubleZero not only through our venture division but also as an infrastructure collaborator. We’re participating in the DoubleZero testnet and helping establish network connections in Europe.
Read our latest update: https://www.rockawayx.com/insights/building-doublezero-prague-comes-online
