Stellar developers discussed CAP 42, a protocol proposal for multi-part transaction sets that enables different fee structures based on transaction composition. The mechanism aims to reduce failed arbitrage trades and spam by allowing validators to isolate transaction subsets into separate fee lanes.
The Stellar Open Protocol meeting focused on CAP 42, titled multi-part transaction sets, which proposes a mechanism to implement differentiated fee structures based on transaction set composition. The CAP addresses network issues caused by arbitrage trading spikes and failed transactions by empowering validators to isolate subsets of transactions that compete on fees independently. Discussion centered on whether CAP 42 should mandate Dutch auction pricing for certain transaction types, how it interacts with future features like Soroban smart contracts and StellarX, and whether the grouping approach is the right mechanism or if simpler alternatives exist. Participants debated whether validators should have discretion to set per-transaction fees versus maintaining auction-based pricing, and whether fee management and transaction ordering should be separate concerns.