Block Time

Block time is the average interval between consecutive blocks on a blockchain — roughly ten minutes on Bitcoin and a few seconds on many newer chains. It is a protocol design choice, not a fixed guarantee: proof-of-work networks adjust mining difficulty to keep the average near target, so individual blocks can arrive much faster or slower than usual. Block time drives the user experience, because a payment is only recorded once it is in a block, and merchants usually wait for several confirmations after that. Shorter block times feel quicker but produce more competing or orphaned blocks and heavier data growth, which is why chains trade block time against stability.