NEAR Protocol Confirms Production of Blocks in 600 Milliseconds

NEAR Protocol has confirmed that it now produces blocks in 600 milliseconds. The update was announced on May 13, 2025, and applies to its Layer 1 blockchain. The team also reported 1.2-second finality, meaning transactions become irreversible shortly after confirmation.

NEAR Protocol has confirmed that it now produces blocks in 600 milliseconds. The update was announced on May 13, 2025, and applies to its Layer 1 blockchain. The team also reported 1.2-second finality, meaning transactions become irreversible shortly after confirmation.

NEAR Protocol stated on X:

NEAR Protocol just dropped 600ms blocks + 1.2s finality on mainnet. Blazing-fast performance and secure execution.

This is powered by NEAR's unique Doomslug consensus system, where one block building on another serves as a secure confirmation. To reverse a confirmed block would require a slashable malicious attack.

The update is based on NEAR Protocol’s Doomslug consensus system. It allows one block built on another to serve as a secure confirmation. According to NEAR Protocol, reversing a confirmed block would now require a slashable malicious attack.

Solana confirms blocks in around 1.6 seconds, or four slots. Other chains like Base and MegaEth take at least 12 seconds. NEAR Protocol now positions itself with faster confirmation times compared to these networks.

Another post on May 14 added:

Gm! Feels good waking up to 600ms block time and 1.2 second finality on NEAR.

This incredible performance is part of what makes NEAR the best L1 for real-time use cases like smart contracts, AI agents, games, and financial transactions.

The protocol said the faster block time improves use for real-time applications. These include smart contracts, AI agents, games, and financial transactions. NEAR Protocol also noted that this update lowers the need for developers to plan around reorgs or network delays.

The change follows the activation of Nightshade 2.0, which introduced optimistic blocks. This system allows blockchain shards to proceed without waiting for new blocks to arrive. As a result, NEAR Protocol cut latency in half for transactions processed on-chain.

The update reduces reliance on intermediaries and supports real-time use cases. Developers no longer need to include multiple confirmations in application logic.

In a statement, NEAR Protocol added:

“’Blink and it’s final’ isn’t an exaggeration. In the time it takes to blink, your NEAR transaction can finalize on-chain.”

The protocol also said the changes help with its ongoing work on intents. Intents allow blockchain-based actions to be triggered and confirmed instantly.

NEAR Protocol plans to reduce block time further to 200 milliseconds by the end of 2025. The team said future upgrades to the consensus system and block production will make this possible.

According to NEAR Protocol, this step is part of building a blockchain system that supports real-time processing. They noted that faster confirmations allow simpler systems and reduce transaction risks.

These improvements are intended to help developers working on applications that need real-time feedback, such as financial platforms or smart contract automation tools.