Ethereum EIP-8198 Gains Broad Ecosystem Support for Hegotá Upgrade

Ethlabs said a survey of 20 participants from the Ethereum ecosystem found broad support for EIP-8198, known as Quick Slots, in Ethereum’s upcoming Hegotá upgrade. Lido, Ethena, Flashbots, Ondo and other ecosystem participants backed the proposal, according to data shared by CoinMarketCap.

EIP-8198 is designed to make Ethereum’s slot duration configurable and enable shorter block intervals. The proposal is currently a draft standards-track Ethereum Improvement Proposal authored by Carl Beekhuizen. Its stated objective is to introduce variable slot timing infrastructure and reduce Ethereum’s current 12-second slot duration.

Ethlabs Pushes for Faster Ethereum

Ethlabs has identified faster Ethereum as one of its priorities for Hegotá, an upcoming network upgrade currently being scoped. In its own Hegotá assessment, the research group strongly recommends including EIP-8198, arguing that shorter slots could reduce transaction confirmation latency and improve the responsiveness of on-chain markets and Ethereum interoperability.

The group has described Quick Slots as more than a one-time reduction in block timing. EIP-8198 first establishes infrastructure that removes hardcoded assumptions around Ethereum’s 12-second slots, creating a framework through which slot duration could be adjusted over time.

Ethlabs has previously outlined a target of preparing Ethereum for a first reduction from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in Hegotá. Its August update said the proposal was intended both to make slot timing configurable in client software and to reduce the initial slot duration to 10 seconds.

Ecosystem Participants Back Quick Slots

The survey cited by CoinMarketCap included views from Ethereum ecosystem participants across areas such as decentralized finance, applications and infrastructure. The support highlighted by the post includes Lido, Ethena, Flashbots and Ondo.

The backing comes as Ethereum developers continue to consider Cryptocurrency how to improve network performance without changing the protocol’s broader design objectives. Ethlabs said its outreach was intended to gather feedback from teams and individuals that would be directly affected by changes to Ethereum’s latency.

Ethlabs’ September update also said it was working with Ethereum Foundation engineers on EIP-8198 specifications while studying how shorter slot times could affect deployed smart contracts and infrastructure.

EIP-8198 Remains Under Development

The proposal has not yet become part of Ethereum’s live protocol. The official EIP document identifies EIP-8198 as a draft and lays out a phased approach: first making slot timing configurable, then characterizing consensus-layer performance, followed by iterative reductions based on testing and available network capacity.

The proposal also notes that shorter slots would place tighter demands on block propagation, validation and attestation aggregation. Its authors therefore frame performance testing as an important step before committing to a final slot duration.

For Hegotá, the immediate issue is whether EIP-8198 progresses from proposal and ecosystem discussion into the upgrade’s eventual implementation scope. The current survey indicates support among the 20 participants markets consulted by Ethlabs, while the broader Ethereum development process will determine whether the proposal is ultimately included.

Writer: Victoria Hale
Technology & Blockchain Writer

Victoria Hale writes about blockchain technology, digital infrastructure, and the intersection of emerging technologies with finance. Her articles explore how new protocols and systems are shaping the evolving digital economy.

She prioritises clarity and accuracy when explaining technical developments to a general audience.