Freighter, a Stellar wallet browser extension, improved initial load times by 63% from 3.5s to 1.27s through optimized data loading, aggressive caching, and smarter asset icon fetching via Stellar RPC and Horizon. Key changes include loading only essential data first, preloading others in the background, and batching requests. Future plans involve a custom wallet backend and sidepanel mode for even faster access.
Freighter team analyzed real-world performance metrics using Sentry, revealing average Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 3.5 seconds on startup, far slower than local tests. They optimized by loading only essential account balances initially, preloading history and icons asynchronously, and caching data aggressively with 3-minute refresh intervals. Asset icon loading was revamped to prioritize popular token lists and use Stellar RPC ledger entries for batch fetching issuers' home domains, reducing multi-roundtrip delays. Navigation became instantaneous due to cached data, with user feedback confirming the snappier feel. Upcoming improvements include a custom wallet backend, browser sidepanel mode to eliminate startup waits, and regional servers to address global latency variances.
