ChainCatcher Message, Tezos implemented its latest protocol upgrade Tallinn last week, reducing the base layer block time to 6 seconds. This is the 20th major update since Tezos was launched in 2018, and it was completed without network forking.
The Tallinn upgrade decreases block time, cuts storage costs, and reduces latency, thereby speeding up network finality. The upgrade allows all validators (called bakers) to validate each block, instead of the previous subset validation mode. This is achieved through BLS cryptographic signatures, aggregating hundreds of signatures into a single signature per block, easing node load.
The upgrade also introduces an address indexing mechanism, removing redundant address data and increasing storage efficiency by 100 times. A Tezos spokesperson stated that this upgrade demonstrates the blockchain network’s pursuit of faster, higher throughput to handle more transactions per second and shorten settlement times, meeting the growing demand for use cases.