Ethereum Institutional Backs Move to 10-Second Block Times

The proposed technical change, known as Quick Slots, would make Ethereum’s slot duration configurable. Rather than enforcing a rigid, immediate reduction, this approach allows developers to incrementally shorten the time between blocks while monitoring network performance. Ethlabs, the group spearheading the proposal, gathered feedback from 20 decentralized finance founders who expressed broad support for including the measure in the upcoming Hegotá upgrade.

While the proposal was formally introduced in August, it remains under technical review. Ethlabs is currently integrating specifications into the main codebase and assessing potential dependencies. Hegotá follows the forthcoming Glamsterdam upgrade, which is currently slated for testing on the Sepolia network on October 6. Whether Quick Slots secures a spot in the final scope of Hegotá depends on the outcomes of ongoing testing and consensus among Ethereum’s core client teams.

The push for faster throughput mirrors trends across the broader blockchain ecosystem. Solana recently reduced its target slot time to 250 milliseconds, while Zcash stakeholders are debating a significant cut to their own block times. For Ethereum, the transition is viewed as a necessary evolution to support its role in hosting roughly $180 billion in stablecoins and a significant portion of the world’s tokenized real-world assets.