Block time is the time it takes for a blockchain to produce a new block.
After a block is successfully produced, it appears on the ledger and extends the blockchain.
Block time determines the speed of transaction confirmation, and thus influences the transactions per second (TPS) rate.
Why Do Different Blockchains Have Different Block Times?
In the world of blockchains, there is a concept of consensus mechanisms. Consensus mechanisms allow a group of participants to agree on whether a given transaction is valid or not. Different blockchains utilize different consensus mechanisms, which impacts the time it takes to verify each transaction and create each block.
Block Time of the Most Popular Blockchains
Block time differs for every blockchain. Some allow faster block times than others. Depending on the blockchain, a new block can be mined in a matter of seconds, or it can take a few minutes.
At Chainspect, we track block times for all our blockchains and show it on the dashboard and individual chain pages. For example, here is the Ethereum chain page.
Block time is a dynamic metric, so check it regularly to get the full picture.
The following metrics are relevant on Apr 3, 2024. For real-time metrics just click on your favorite blockchain to open its chain page or go to the dashboard.
- Aeternity block time is 2m 37s
- AirDAO block time is 5.59s
- Algorand block time is 2.88s
- Arbitrum block time is 0.25s
- Arthera block time is 1.11s
- Avalanche block time is 2.06s
- Base block time is 2s
- Bitcoin block time is 8m 41s
- BNB Chain block time is 3s
- BNB Greenfield block time is 2.62s
- Cardano block time is coming soon
- Celo block time is 5s
- Cronos block time is 5.63s
- Crust block time is 16.07s
- eCash block time is 8m 33s
- Ethereum block time is 12.04s
- Fantom block time is 1.83s
- Gnosis Chain block time is 5.2s
- Hedera block time is 2s
- Integritee block time is 12.84s
- IoTeX block time is 5s
- Klaytn block time is 1.68s
- Moonbeam block time is 12.08s
- opBNB block time is 1s
- Optimism block time is 2s
- Polkadex block time is 12.04s
- Polkadot block time is 6.02s
- Polygon block time is 2.52s
- Scroll block time is 3.01s
- Sirius block time is 15.21s
- Solana block time is 0.47s
- Starknet block time is 6m 12s
- Telos block time is 0.5s
- Tron block time is 3s
- Wanchain block time is 5.19s
- Zeitgeist block time is 12.35s