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 the support in explicitly financial terms, arguing that improvements in block speed directly enhance Ethereum’s appeal to institutional actors, bolstering confidence in the platform’s usability as core financial infrastructure.

Ethlabs launched on June 22, 2026, as a non-profit research and development lab backed by Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin and staffed by former Ethereum Foundation researchers, including Carl Beekhuizen and Barnabé Monnot.

Feedback gathered from roughly 20 ecosystem participants, including major protocols like Lido and Ondo, reportedly shows broad support for the proposal. No significant concerns were raised about decentralization or validator participation.

The competitive landscape

When a DEX trade takes 12 seconds to confirm, market makers face wider spreads to compensate for price movement risk during that window. Cutting block time to 10 seconds narrows that risk window by roughly 17%, which translates directly into tighter spreads and better execution for traders.

Supporters of EIP-8198 also point to censorship resistance benefits, particularly when combined with FOCIL (Forced Inclusion Lists), another proposed mechanism designed to prevent validators from selectively excluding transactions.

What to watch

The parameterization aspect of EIP-8198 means the Ethereum community could continue trimming slot times through governance proposals rather than full protocol upgrades, establishing a framework for future block time reductions without requiring another hard fork for each incremental change.

Approximately 20 major ecosystem participants have already signaled support with no significant pushback. The technical execution during the Hegotá upgrade will be the real test.

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