# Raiku A reference guide for enterprises evaluating **Raiku** — a Solana coordination layer that replaces probabilistic priority-fee bidding with deterministic block-space reservations. {% hint style="warning" %} **Status (April 2026)**: Raiku is **pre-mainnet**. v2 SDK rollout is expected late 2025, mainnet launch targeted for 2026. All pricing figures in this document are modeled from existing Solana priority-fee data and are **not observed Raiku rates**. {% endhint %} *** ## What Raiku Is Raiku is a **block-building coordination layer** for Solana. Rather than competing in Solana's per-block priority-fee auction (where higher bids probabilistically get faster inclusion), Raiku lets applications **pre-book or instantly purchase blockspace** from participating validators. | | Traditional Solana | Raiku | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- | | **Inclusion model** | Probabilistic (priority fee bidding) | Deterministic (reserved or auction-won) | | **Slot targeting** | No — "best effort" | Yes — specific future slot (AOT) | | **Pre-confirmation** | No | Sub-50ms | | **Claimed reliability** | Varies widely under load | 99.9%+ within Raiku-controlled slots | | **Pricing** | Market-driven priority fee | Auction (AOT) or priority fee × 1.05 + routing (JIT) | *** ## How It Works Raiku operates within slots led by **Raiku-opted-in validators**. Non-Raiku slots remain under the normal Solana / Jito flow — Raiku has no control there. ### Two Execution Models **AOT — Ahead-of-Time** * English-style sealed-bid auction for a **specific future slot** * Auction runs roughly 36 seconds (\~100 slots) before the target, closes \~90 slots prior * Winners receive an **inclusion signal** — a pre-confirmation that the transaction will land * Use cases: scheduled settlements, oracle updates, liquidations, arbitrage on known events **JIT — Just-in-Time** * First-price sealed-bid auction for the **current leader's block** * **Minimum price = current priority fee × 1.05 + routing fee** * Sub-second execution when the current leader is Raiku-enabled * Falls back to Jito / priority fees when the current leader is non-Raiku * Use cases: opportunistic MEV, HFT, reactive trades ### Raiku Stake Coverage Constraint Raiku can only operate during slots led by opted-in validators. Because Solana's leader schedule is fixed per epoch, the percentage of network stake opted in to Raiku directly determines coverage. | Raiku stake | Raiku slots / min | Avg gap between Raiku windows | | ----------- | ----------------- | ----------------------------- | | 10% | \~15 | 14.4 s | | 30% | \~45 | 4.7 s | | 50% | \~75 | 1.6 s | During gaps, JIT falls back to Jito / priority fees. AOT is only usable for slots a Raiku validator will lead. *** ## Cost Analysis ### Scenario-Based Pricing (modeled from Solana data) Raiku's own simulator uses four scenarios, each derived from historical priority-fee + MEV-tip data (not Raiku bids). | Scenario | Modeled fee/CU | Source methodology | | ------------------------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | **Current Market** | 0.10 lam/CU | 30-day p25 of active payers + 0.10 floor (n=83) | | **Last 12 Months** | 1.50 lam/CU | 30-day CU-weighted non-base mean (n=117) | | **Last 24M + Congestion** | 2.00 lam/CU | 30-day CU-weighted total-fee mean (n=117) | | **Bull Case** | 3.50 lam/CU | 30-day p75 of active payers (n=83) | ### Per-Transaction Cost (200,000 CU typical) At SOL = $100: | Scenario | Fee/CU | Per-tx cost | | ----------------------- | -------- | ----------- | | Current Market | 0.10 lam | \~$0.002 | | Last 12 Months | 1.50 lam | \~$0.030 | | Elevated / Congestion | 2.00 lam | \~$0.040 | | Bull Case (at $250 SOL) | 3.50 lam | \~$0.175 | Traditional Solana priority fees typically land in **$0.00025–$0.001** during normal periods and can spike to **several dollars** during acute congestion. Raiku's predictability matters most during spikes. ### Key Pricing Insight **JIT is always at least 5% more expensive than the prevailing priority fee** — Raiku JIT is never cheaper than Jito for the same slot. **AOT pricing depends on auction dynamics** — can be lower than priority fees (if demand is thin), equal, or higher (if multiple bidders compete for the same slot). Raiku's "AOT discount" marketing is not guaranteed. **Raiku's value is certainty, not raw cost reduction.** Enterprises paying the \~5% premium are buying inclusion guarantees, not cheaper execution. *** ## Execution Certainty ### Claimed Metrics * **99.9%+ inclusion rate** within Raiku-controlled slots * **Sub-50ms pre-confirmation** via the coordination engine * **Atomic execution** — transactions succeed as a unit or not at all * **No drops under congestion** for pre-reserved AOT transactions ### Realistic Limitations * These guarantees apply **only to slots led by Raiku validators** * During non-Raiku slot gaps, applications still depend on Jito or priority fees * Network-wide coverage scales with Raiku validator adoption *** ## Who Should Consider Raiku ### Raiku's Stated Target Segments Raiku's public positioning targets use cases that demand **predictable, low-latency execution**: * **High-frequency trading platforms** * **AI / ML coordination systems** * **Decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN)** * **Gaming applications requiring real-time state updates** ### Dawn Labs' Analysis — Practical Fit Layering Raiku's positioning against observed Solana fee data, we see three tiers of practical fit: **Strong fit** — execution failure is expensive: * MEV / arbitrage — timing-critical, high fee tolerance * Perpetuals liquidations — failed liquidations cascade into protocol risk * Oracle updates — specific-slot delivery required * NFT launches — launch-time inclusion is the product * Institutional settlement — predictable execution windows for accounting **Marginal fit**: * DEX / AMM swaps — useful during volatility, priority fees fine in normal conditions * Lending routine operations — only liquidation paths benefit materially **Poor fit**: * Retail payments / transfers — Raiku premium not economically justified * Bulk batch processing with loose timing — priority fees remain cheaper ### Customer Category Positioning Historical Solana data shows clear stratification in fee-per-CU willingness. AOT auctions favor high-fee-tolerant categories; lower-tolerance categories risk being outbid. | Category (from Solana data) | Typical non-base fee/CU | AOT positioning | | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | Proprietary AMM / MEV | 7.25 lam/CU | Top of auction — reliably wins slots | | Lending (with liquidations) | \~2.0 lam/CU | Competitive | | Payments | \~1.08 lam/CU | Mid-tier — risks being outbid in competitive blocks | | DEX / Perps / Bridge / NFT / Gaming | < 1 lam/CU | Bottom — likely outbid during congestion | Enterprises should benchmark their current priority-fee spend against this distribution before committing to AOT strategy. *** ## Decision Framework for Enterprises Before engaging with Raiku, answer these questions: 1. **What is the cost of one failed transaction?** If low ($1–10), Raiku's premium is hard to justify. If high (lost MEV, cascading liquidation, broken SLA), Raiku may be cheap insurance. 2. **Do you need specific-slot execution?** Only AOT can deliver this. If "soon" is fine, JIT or regular priority fees suffice. 3. **How congestion-sensitive are you?** Raiku's biggest advantage appears during spikes — when priority fees 10x, AOT locked at auction price stays fixed. 4. **Can you absorb a 5–15% fee premium?** If margins are thin (payments, retail), no. If margins are fat (MEV, trading), yes. 5. **Where does your fee profile sit in the distribution?** Check Category Explorer or your own on-chain data. If your typical fee/CU is below 1 lamport, AOT auctions may consistently outbid you. *** ## Integration Path | Phase | Status | Action | | -------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | **Testnet / devnet** | Ongoing | Build against published SDK, benchmark in simulator | | **Mainnet** | 2026 target | Production deployment | *** ## Limitations & Caveats * **All pricing is pre-launch.** There are no observed AOT bid prices — every figure is a proxy from Solana priority-fee history. * **The simulator is a scenario tool, not a price guarantee.** Run your own sensitivity analysis with conservative assumptions. * **Non-Raiku slot fallback remains necessary.** Any production integration needs a Jito / priority-fee path for gaps. * **JIT pricing floor (priority fee × 1.05) means Raiku is never cheaper than Jito for the same slot.** Cost advantages come from AOT discounts or avoided congestion-spike exposure. *** ## Resources | Resource | URL | Purpose | | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | | Raiku main site | [raiku.com](https://www.raiku.com/) | Product overview | | Documentation | [docs.raiku.com](https://docs.raiku.com/) | Technical specs, SDK docs | | Revenue Simulator | [raiku-protocol.github.io/raiku-simulator](https://raiku-protocol.github.io/raiku-simulator/index.html) | Scenario modeling | | Simulator guide | [raiku-simulator/guide.html](https://raiku-protocol.github.io/raiku-simulator/guide.html) | Methodology, data sources | | Slot Marketplace overview | [raiku.com/technology/slot-marketplace](https://www.raiku.com/technology/slot-marketplace) | Auction mechanics | *** ## How Dawn Labs Can Help For enterprises evaluating Raiku, Dawn Labs can: * **Collaboratively assess Raiku's fit for your use case** — working through your execution requirements, fee profile, and volume together to determine whether AOT, JIT, or traditional priority fees best serve each workflow * **Facilitate Raiku BD engagement** and early-access discussions * **Integrate Raiku SDK paths** into existing Solana operations once mainnet lands *** {% hint style="info" %} **Last reviewed**: April 2026. 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