Ethereum Institutional has thrown its support behind Ethlabs' EIP-8198 "Quick Slots" proposal, which seeks to reduce Ethereum's block times from 12 seconds to 10 seconds. The non-profit organization argues that faster speeds are vital as institutional activity moves onchain. The proposal has gained broad support from 20 DeFi founders, with plans to integrate it into the upcoming Hegotá upgrade, scheduled for late 2026 or 2027, amid competing speed upgrades from Solana and Zcash.
EIP-8198 Quick Slots proposal
- ▪The research lab Ethlabs authored EIP-8198, nicknamed "Quick Slots," in March 2026 to initially reduce Ethereum block times from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.
- ▪EIP-8198 requires a one-time client refactor to parameterize slot timing, allowing the Ethereum community to adjust block times via governance rather than hard forks.
Ethereum Institutional backing rationale
- ▪Ethereum Institutional, a non-profit co-founded by former Ethereum Foundation members, publicly backed EIP-8198 on September 18, 2026, to make the Ethereum network faster
- ▪Ethereum Institutional co-founder Matthew Dawson stated that faster block speeds directly enhance Ethereum's appeal to institutional actors as core financial infrastructure.
DeFi founder feedback survey
- ▪Ethlabs gathered feedback from approximately 20 decentralized finance founders and ecosystem participants, including Lido and Ondo, showing broad support for EIP-8198.
- ▪Feedback gathered by Ethlabs from ecosystem participants raised no significant concerns regarding decentralization or validator participation under the EIP-8198 proposal, also known as 'Quick Slots.'
Hegotá upgrade implementation timeline
- ▪Ethereum developers could begin implementing the Ethereum Hegotá upgrade in late 2026 or 2027, following the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade designed to improve scalability
- ▪EIP-8198 was proposed for inclusion in the Hegotá upgrade during an Ethereum core developers meeting on August 6, 2026.
Competitive blockchain speed improvements
- ▪Solana reduced its target slot time from 400 milliseconds to 350 milliseconds in August 2026, and further to 250 milliseconds on September 18, 2026.
- ▪A majority of Zcash token holders voted in September 2026 to support cutting the network's target block time from 75 seconds to 25 seconds.
Debatable claims
- ▪Ethereum should reduce its block time to 10 seconds
- ▪Ethereum should allow block times to be adjusted via governance instead of hard forks
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