An Ethereum developer has proposed reducing block times from 12 seconds to 6 seconds through a future network upgrade. This aims to decrease transaction confirmation latency and theoretically increase throughput. The proposal suggests shorter intervals could also reduce fee volatility by allowing more frequent block space availability.
Implementing this change would require careful consensus layer adjustments to maintain network security. Shorter block times increase orphaned block risks and could potentially centralize validation if hardware requirements rise significantly. The proposal includes compensatory mechanisms to address these challenges.
While still in early discussion, this upgrade could enhance Ethereum’s competitiveness against faster chains. However, it represents a complex protocol change requiring extensive testing, likely placing implementation timelines years in the future if approved by core developers.
