Ethereum Institutional backs Ethlabs’ proposal to reduce block times

Ethereum Institutional, a non-profit co-founded by former Ethereum Foundation members, has thrown its weight behind a proposal to make the network meaningfully faster. The organization is backing EIP-8198, a plan from research lab Ethlabs to reduce Ethereum’s block time from 12 seconds to 10 seconds as part of the Hegotá upgrade, currently scheduled for 2027. What EIP-8198 actually does The proposal, nicknamed “Quick Slots,” targets Ethereum’s slot time, the fixed interval at which validators propose new blocks. Right now that interval sits at 12 seconds. EIP-8198 would trim it to 10 seconds as part of the Hegotá upgrade, currently scheduled for 2027. The proposal requires a one-time client refactor that parameterizes slot timing. Instead of hardcoding the block interval, developers would build in a dial that can be turned again later. The initial reduction to 10 seconds is designed as a stepping stone, not a destination. Ethereum’s current finality typically takes around 15 minutes across two epochs. While EIP-8198 doesn’t directly overhaul finality, faster block production tightens the entire pipeline. Why institutions care Ethereum Institutional co-founder Matthew Dawson framed ...