⏱️ Block Time: Speed vs Security Trade-offs
Learn why Bitcoin takes 10 minutes while Solana takes 400ms
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0 / 5 completedUnderstanding Block Time
Block time is one of the most critical design parameters in any blockchain. It determines how quickly transactions are confirmed and has profound implications for security, user experience, and network architecture.
What is Block Time?
Block time is the average time it takes for a blockchain network to produce a new block. This fundamental parameter affects everything from transaction speed to network security, and different blockchains make very different choices based on their priorities.
Compare Block Times
Select different blockchains to see how their block times affect performance, security, and user experience.
Bitcoin
Prioritizes security and decentralization with a conservative 10-minute block time.
- •Maximum security
- •Proven stability
- •High decentralization
- •Slow confirmations
- •Low throughput
- •High latency
Why Block Time Matters
User Experience
Faster block times mean quicker transaction confirmations and better UX. Users don't want to wait minutes for their payments to confirm.
Network Security
Longer block times allow more nodes to participate and reach consensus, increasing security. Fast blocks can lead to more forks and reorganizations.
The Trilemma
Block time sits at the heart of blockchain's trilemma: balancing speed, security, and decentralization. Every choice involves trade-offs.