Ethereum could soon see a significant performance upgrade due to new proposals to improve the speed and efficiency of the network. A recent Ethereum improvement proposal (EIP-7781) introduced by Ben Adams, co-founder of Illyriad Games, proposes reducing the block time from the current 12 seconds to just 8 seconds. According to the developer, this increases throughput by 50%.
Announced on October 5th, the EIP aims to reduce transaction times by reducing the time it takes for new blocks to be added to the Ethereum blockchain. Additionally, it increases the capacity of BLOBs, which are temporary data structures that help lower fees for layer 2 solutions, ultimately benefiting decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap.
In a post on X, pseudonymous developer Cygaar called the proposal the “first big” move toward improving Ethereum’s base layer. While much of the development focus has been on scaling Ethereum's Layer 2 solution, this upgrade addresses core network efficiency.
This proposal also aims to evenly distribute bandwidth usage over time and lower peak bandwidth demands without increasing the number of blocks or blobs.
However, shorter block times may increase hardware and bandwidth requirements to accommodate Ethereum's growing blockchain data, so some developers are concerned about the potential impact on solo stakers. expresses concern about. Adam Cochran, partner at Cinnheim Ventures, said the proposal seemed “reasonable” but needed further testing to ensure it did not negatively impact home-based stakes.
This proposal comes shortly after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin floated the idea of lowering the minimum ETH required to become a validator. This move could help improve the decentralization of the network.
Also read: Vitalik Buterin praises Ethereum developers for their collaborative efforts
