Vercel has introduced an experimental feature called bytecode caching for its serverless functions to reduce startup latency in large applications by up to 27%. The new feature aims to eliminate the compilation step during cold starts, resulting in faster application start times and lower billed duration. Bytecode caching is currently supported on Node.js 20 with CommonJS frameworks like Next.js, but future updates will support ES Modules. Developers can enable this feature by adding an environment variable to their project settings.