Ethereum is exploring a new model that could reduce full transaction finality from about 15 minutes to less than one minute. The idea is to separate block production more clearly from the finality process, with a smaller committee handling block creation and voting instead of the entire validator set.
Current design keeps block production running
Zanolini said Ethereum has maintained uninterrupted block production over the past decade. The network is built to keep operating even if some validators go offline or technical failures occur, a principle he described as dynamic availability. He pointed to a 2023 incident in which more than half of validators became inactive because of a client bug, while network operations continued without interruption.
That capability is different from transaction finality. In Ethereum’s current architecture, block production and full transaction finality cannot both be optimized to the maximum at the same time, which creates delay. At present, full finality depends on all validators reaching consensus, a design that strengthens security but slows confirmation.
Proposed structure would split production and finality
To address that trade-off, the Ethereum Foundation is studying a structure that separates those responsibilities. Under the proposal, a smaller committee would produce blocks and vote on them. If adopted, the change could push transaction finality below one minute, with room for even faster confirmation.
According to Zanolini, the goal is to bring these structural changes to the community between 2029 and 2030. Through that process, network security and uninterrupted operation are still expected to remain central design priorities.
Security model still depends on economic penalties
Ethereum’s security rests not only on consensus rules but also on economic incentives. Validators that violate the rules are subject to slashing, which removes part of their staked assets. That gives misbehavior a direct financial cost.
The network also relies on the inactivity leak mechanism. Validators that remain offline for extended periods gradually lose part of their staked holdings, allowing active participants to restore balance and keep the chain operating smoothly. Zanolini described Ethereum as a self-sustaining, self-healing network that does not require outside intervention, and said its relatively slow finality is a deliberate trade-off made to preserve that balance.