All terms
How often a new block is produced on a given network.
Block time sets the rhythm of a chain. Bitcoin targets ten minutes. Ethereum produces a block every twelve seconds. Solana aims for about four hundred milliseconds.
Shorter block times feel faster but require more bandwidth and better hardware from validators, which tends to reduce how many people can realistically run one.
A ten minute block time is why Bitcoin payments are not used for buying coffee directly, and why the Lightning Network exists.
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More foundations terms
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