The layer-1 blockchain network called Sui experienced network outages for two consecutive days. Due to the latest disruption that occurred on Friday, block production on the network temporarily stopped and blocks could not be added for approximately three hours and thirty minutes. The Sui team announced that the network returned to normal operation after this “network stall”.
Back-to-back interruptions
With the latest outage, the Sui network faced similar issues for two days in a row. The first glitch, which occurred on Thursday, lasted about six hours and was attributed to a critical software error in the part that calculates the gas fee. Friday’s outage began when block adding stopped at 11:51 UTC, and the network only returned to normal at 3:30 UTC.
In the statement made by Sui, it was stated that the temporary solution is expected to cause problems with a low probability, but the long-term software fix has now been implemented by most network verifiers.
Before this latest network disruption, Sui had experienced its second major outage in 2026.
Major network failure in January
At the beginning of 2026, Sui completely stopped block production for more than six hours due to a serious consensus error. During this incident, validators submitted different transactions for approval on the network at the same time and the required consensus point could not be reached. In the analysis report that followed, it was noted that the system had activated control and quarantine mechanisms, users’ funds were not at risk and the transactions made were not reversed.
Mini dictionary: Consensus failure refers to the failure to reach consensus among validators in the network regarding the accuracy of transactions in the blockchain. Such errors can often lead to double spending, network disruption, or a complete halt to transactions.
The Sui team stated that the disruption in January was not due to congestion on the network and that they ensured that the network stopped sharply without experiencing a fork that was reflected on the user.
Impact of outages on blockchains
Such outages in Sui also bring to the fore the differences between centralized and decentralized networks. In decentralized blockchains, many potential problems can arise in layers that promise high scalability. Errors may occur in processes such as data sharing between validators, transaction execution, and collective decision-making.
Centralized exchanges and service providers are still affected by such disruptions. For example, in May, major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase temporarily switched to “auction” transaction mode due to a glitch in the Amazon Web Services infrastructure and transactions stopped for a while. However, although centralized structures have fewer difficulties in terms of coordination, they may encounter similar problems when they are dependent on infrastructure.
| Event | Downtime | From where |
|---|---|---|
| Sui (January) | 6 hours+ | consensus error |
| Sui (Thursday) | 6 hours | Software error in gas fee |
| Sui (Friday) | 3.5 hours | Network authenticator error |
| Coinbase (May) | short term | Infrastructure service (AWS) issue |
