Ethereum Proposes 50% Slot Time Reduction for Faster Transactions

Ethereum, the second-largest blockchain network by market capitalization, is on the verge of a significant upgrade that could potentially double its network speed. Core developer Barnabé Monnot has proposed reducing the network's slot time from the current 12 seconds to 6 seconds. This proposal, part of Ethereum Improvement Proposal 7782 (EIP-7782), aims to enhance transaction confirmation times and overall user experience.

The reduction in slot time would mean that new blocks could be proposed twice as often, leading to faster transaction inclusion and a more responsive network. This change would result in wallets displaying fresher data following transaction inclusion, and onchain data would update more frequently. Consequently, users would experience smoother interactions across wallets, decentralized applications (DApps), and layer-2 networks. Additionally, the increased frequency of block production would make it more challenging for anyone to censor transactions, as there would be more block producers per minute.

The proposal also highlights several advantages for decentralized finance (DeFi) and trading. Faster price updates on decentralized exchanges would reduce losses due to arbitrage traders exploiting price differences. Trading fees would decrease as markets become more efficient, and there would be more liquidity in automated market makers. According to Monnot, faster slots would lead to more liquidity, resulting in lower trading fees for users and increased network effects for Ethereum.

However, the proposal is not without its trade-offs. Slower or poorly connected validators may struggle with the tighter timing requirements, and there could be higher bandwidth demands from more frequent consensus messages. Additionally, there is a greater potential for network congestion during peak usage periods. Extensive testing would be necessary to avoid network instability and prevent smart contracts from breaking.

EIP-7782 proposes adjustments to three key subslot timings: block proposal time would decrease from four seconds to three, attestation time would fall from four seconds to 1.5 seconds, and aggregation time would drop from four seconds to 1.5 seconds. These adjustments would shave six seconds overall, making the network more efficient. Monnot believes that following this run with a 2x reduction of the slot time would be an amazing option for Ethereum, which should be seriously considered for the Glamsterdam update scheduled in late 2026.

The Glamsterdam update, still in its early design stages, focuses on gas optimizations and protocol-level efficiency improvements. The goal is to make Ethereum faster and cheaper to use. By the time of the update, the network is expected to have undergone significant scaling, reaching blocks with three times the current gas limit and eight times the blob supply. This proposal, if implemented, could mark a significant milestone in Ethereum's evolution, enhancing its performance and user experience.

While the idea remains in the discussion phase, it could be included in Ethereum’s upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade, expected in 2026. Developers caution that not all proposals move forward, but the concept reflects ongoing efforts to optimize ETH’s performance without sacrificing decentralization or security. If implemented, the faster slot time could significantly improve user experience and DApp responsiveness, while strengthening Ethereum’s position against faster Layer 1 competitors.