Ethereum developers are testing a Fast Confirmation Rule that could cut bridge and deposit times by up to 98%, reducing delays to around 13 seconds.
The opt-in mechanism aims to speed up transfers from Ethereum’s mainnet to layer-2 networks and exchanges without requiring a hard fork.
Current bridging processes can take around 13 minutes due to reliance on multiple block confirmations or full finality, creating friction for users.
“Deposit time from Ethereum L1 to L2s or exchanges [could drop] to about 13 seconds,”
Said Ethereum researcher, Julian Ma.
The new rule works by analysing validator attestations instead of counting blocks, allowing nodes to determine faster whether a transaction is safe to confirm.
It assumes fast network communication and that no single entity controls more than 25% of staked Ether, conditions considered sufficient for most real-world use cases.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the mechanism could offer a “hard guarantee” that transactions will not be reverted after roughly 12 seconds under certain conditions.
Developers say the upgrade can be implemented without network-wide coordination, with exchanges and layer-2 providers expected to integrate it with minimal changes.
However, some community members have raised concerns about the reliance on trust assumptions, questioning whether the model will remain secure under stress.
At the time of reporting, Ethereum price was $2,202.32.