Crypto18 September, 20262 min read
Ethereum Institutional Backs Ethlabs’ EIP-8198 To Cut Ethereum Block Times To 10 Seconds
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Ethereum Institutional backs Ethlabs’ EIP-8198 to reduce block time from 12s to 10s. EIP-8198, nicknamed Quick Slots, would make slot duration configurable and require testing/approval.
Quick Slots Backed
Ethereum Institutional has signaled support for Ethlabs’ motion to reduce Ethereum block times, with the non-profit writing “Make Ethereum faster” in a Friday X post.
The proposal at the center of the debate is EIP-8198, also known as “Quick Slots,” which seeks to initially reduce Ethereum’s block times to 10 seconds from 12 seconds.
Cointelegraph says Ethlabs published an article quoting 20 decentralized finance (DeFi) founders showing broad support for EIP-8198, and that the proposal was authored in March and proposed for inclusion in the Hegotá upgrade at an Ethereum core developers meeting on Aug. 6.
Ethereum Institutional’s backing is framed as a response to “more institutional activity moves onchain,” with the group arguing that shorter block times are needed as competition from other networks grows.
From 12 to 10
Crypto Briefing describes EIP-8198 as targeting Ethereum’s slot time, noting that the current interval sits at 12 seconds and that EIP-8198 would trim it to 10 seconds as part of the Hegotá upgrade. It adds that the proposal requires a one-time client refactor that parameterizes slot timing, replacing hardcoding with a dial that can be turned again later.
The same source says Ethereum’s current finality typically takes around 15 minutes across two epochs, and that while EIP-8198 doesn’t directly overhaul finality, faster block production tightens the entire pipeline. Crypto News also reports that EIP 8198 remains under consideration, with further implementation work and testing required before inclusion in the upgrade, and that Quick Slots has not been confirmed for Hegotá.
Upgrade Path and Stakes
Multiple sources tie the block-time change to Ethereum’s planned upgrade sequence, with Hegotá described as the update after Glamsterdam and with Ethereum developers sorting through proposals for Hegotá covering block production, account abstraction, privacy, validator economics and Layer 1 scaling. Cointelegraph says Ethereum developers could begin implementing Hegotá in late 2026 following Glamsterdam, and it also notes that EIP-8198 is being merged into Ethereum’s main codebase while Ethlabs investigates potential downstream dependencies to help it “meaningfully enter Hegotá’s scope.”
Crypto Briefing frames the institutional push in financial terms, quoting co-founder Matthew Dawson arguing that improvements in block speed directly enhance Ethereum’s appeal to institutional actors as “core financial infrastructure.” Crypto Briefing also reports that approximately 20 major ecosystem participants have already signaled support with no significant pushback, while DiarioBitcoin emphasizes that the initiative still depends on testing, implementation, and developers' approval.