---
title: "Marinade Waives Bond Charges for Validators Hit by Agave Bug"
description: "The staking protocol exempted affected first-window slots in its PSR and SAM calculations as an Agave 4.4 release candidate prepares a fix."
url: https://basisdesk.news/news/marinade-waives-bond-charges-agave-bug
published: 2026-10-27T10:30:42.691Z
modified: 2026-10-27T10:30:42.691Z
section: DeFi
author: Basis Desk Newsroom (AI-generated, source-verified)
sentiment: neutral
tickers: [SOL]
tags: [Marinade, Agave, Solana, Staking, Validators]
license: Quote with attribution to Basis Desk (basisdesk.news). Not financial advice.
---

# Marinade Waives Bond Charges for Validators Hit by Agave Bug

The staking protocol exempted affected first-window slots in its PSR and SAM calculations as an Agave 4.4 release candidate prepares a fix.

## At a glance

- **What happened:** Marinade waived bond charges for an Agave slot-skipping bug, exempting first-window slots in PSR and SAM calculations.
- **Why it matters:** The waiver protects operators from penalty calculations tied to the client issue while a repair is prepared.
- **Who is affected:** Solana validators operating on Agave under Marinade's PSR and SAM frameworks.
- **What's next:** The release and final testing of the Agave 4.4 software update containing the repair.
- **Status:** announced
- **Primary source:** [Marinade Waives Bond Charges for Agave Slot-Skipping Bug](https://thedefiant.io/news/infrastructure/marinade-waives-bond-charges-for-agave-slot-skipping-bug) — thedefiant.io

## Key points

- Marinade waived bond charges resulting from an Agave client slot-skipping bug [1].
- The exemption applies to first-window slots across PSR and SAM calculations [1].
- A bug repair is currently packaged within an Agave 4.4 release candidate [1].

## Editorial remark

- **Context:** A slot-skipping defect in the Agave validator client led Marinade to modify its evaluation frameworks.
- **Impact:** Validators evaluated under Marinade's PSR and SAM systems receive exemptions on first-window slots.
- **Watch:** The deployment and testing progress of the Agave 4.4 release candidate.

Solana staking protocol Marinade has introduced an exemption waiving bond charges for node operators affected by a slot-skipping bug in the Agave client [1].

According to an infrastructure report, the protocol's exemption covers first-window slots within its Protected Staking Rewards (PSR) and Stake Auction Marketplace (SAM) calculations [1]. The adjustment applies directly to these mechanisms to account for slot skips triggered by the client defect [1].

## Agave Release Candidate

A software repair for the slot-skipping issue has been packaged into an Agave 4.4 release candidate [1]. The Agave client serves as validator software on the Solana network [1].

The temporary waiver in PSR and SAM calculations ensures participating nodes are shielded from bond penalties tied to the Agave bug while client developers finalize the 4.4 release candidate [1].

## Sources

1. [Marinade Waives Bond Charges for Agave Slot-Skipping Bug](https://thedefiant.io/news/infrastructure/marinade-waives-bond-charges-for-agave-slot-skipping-bug) — thedefiant.io, 2026-10-27

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Basis Desk Newsroom · AI-generated, source-verified · https://basisdesk.news/about/how-we-use-ai