The Tezos network gets faster as its latest protocol upgrade activates on the mainnet
The Tezos Tallinn upgrade is now live, cutting block times on the network to 6 seconds and reducing how long transactions take to feel settled.
The upgrade activated on January 24, 2026, at block level 11,640,289, according to official Tezos development channels. With the change, blocks are produced every 6 seconds instead of every 8, bringing two-block finality down to roughly 12 seconds. Before Tallinn, that same process took closer to 16 seconds.
For most users, this is the part that matters. Transactions confirm sooner. Wallet activity feels quicker. Deposits and withdrawals reach completion faster than they did a day earlier.
The Tezos Tallinn upgrade follows the Quebec protocol update from early 2025, which reduced block times from 10 seconds to 8. Together, the two upgrades show a steady shift toward faster base layer performance on the Tezos network.
Why the block time change matters
A 2-second reduction may look minor on paper. In practice, it adds up. Blockchains process thousands of actions every hour. Faster blocks mean those actions move through the system with less waiting in between.
For exchanges, that shortens confirmation windows. For decentralized applications, it improves responsiveness. For users, it removes some of the friction that makes blockchains feel slow compared to traditional systems. The Tezos Tallinn upgrade achieves this without changing how existing applications work. Smart contracts continue running as before unless developers choose to use new features introduced by the upgrade.
A new path toward full validator attestation
Tallinn is not only about speed. The Tezos Tallinn upgrade also introduces a framework that allows all bakers, the network’s validators, to attest to every block. This would increase the number of confirmations each block receives, strengthening predictability and network resilience.
That change does not happen by default. It only switches on once at least 50% of bakers move to tz4 consensus keys, which makes it possible to bundle cryptographic signatures together. By aggregating signatures, the network allows many validators to confirm the same block without making the block itself any larger.
Until that threshold is met, the network keeps running under the existing rules. This phased approach is deliberate and is meant to give operators time, rather than forcing rushed upgrades. Some validator setups, particularly those that depend on external signing devices, may need extra configuration before they can move to tz4 keys.
Lower storage costs for developers
Another part of the Tezos Tallinn upgrade is focused directly on developers. The upgrade introduces an Address Indexing Registry, which changes how smart contracts work with addresses. Instead of saving the same address over and over in on-chain storage, a contract records it once and then refers back to it later through a short, compact identifier.
For applications that deal with large numbers of users, tokens, or NFTs, this approach can sharply reduce storage usage and make contracts cheaper and more efficient to run. In certain cases, storage requirements can drop by as much as 100 times compared with older contract designs. Developers are not required to make changes. Existing contracts continue to work as they always have. The new system is optional and backward compatible.
What network operators had to do
To support the Tezos Tallinn upgrade, bakers and node operators were required to upgrade to Octez version 24. This software release ensures compatibility with the new protocol and begins consolidating how validator tools are maintained.
Operators running data availability components were also advised to update their tooling during the activation window. According to Tezos’ development teams, the upgrade was completed without major issues.
How Tallinn fits into Tezos’ broader strategy
The Tezos Tallinn upgrade reflects a broader approach the network has followed for years. Instead of dramatic overhauls, Tezos relies on frequent, measured protocol updates that adjust performance step by step.
Faster blocks. Shorter finality. Lower storage costs. A path toward broader validator participation. None of these changes alone redefine the network, but together they steadily reshape how it performs. For users, the difference shows up in speed. For developers, it shows up in lower costs. For validators, it signals where the protocol is headed next.
What comes next?
Now that the Tezos Tallinn upgrade is live, attention shifts to adoption. Validator uptake of tz4 keys will determine when full block attestation becomes active. Developers will decide how quickly to take advantage of the new storage model.
What is already clear is this. The Tezos network is faster today than it was before Tallinn. Transactions settle sooner. And the base layer continues to evolve through deliberate, incremental upgrades rather than sudden redesigns. That pattern, more than any single metric, defines where Tezos is headed.
