Tezos, a leading Layer 1 proof-of-stake blockchain, has rolled out its 20th significant protocol upgrade, dubbed "Tallinn." This pivotal update introduces a suite of enhancements designed to dramatically improve the network's speed, efficiency, and overall performance, positioning Tezos for an expanding array of decentralized applications and use cases.
Drastically Reduced Block Times and Enhanced Storage
The Tallinn upgrade brings a remarkable reduction in base-layer block times, slashing them to an impressive 6 seconds. This, coupled with decreased latency, translates to significantly faster network finality, making transactions and operations on Tezos more responsive. Beyond speed, Tallinn also addresses storage efficiency with a new address indexing mechanism. This innovation effectively eliminates redundant address data, leading to a substantial 100-fold improvement in storage efficiency for applications built on the Tezos blockchain.
Universal Validation Through Cryptographic Innovation
A core advancement in Tallinn is the fundamental change in how network validators, known as "bakers," certify blocks. Previously, only a subset of validators approved blocks; now, Tallinn enables all bakers to certify every block. This significant shift is powered by the integration of BLS (Boneh–Lynn–Shacham) cryptographic signatures. These advanced signatures allow for the aggregation of hundreds of individual signatures into a single, compact signature per block, thus lightening the computational load on nodes. This not only streamlines the validation process but also paves the way for potential future reductions in block times, further enhancing Tezos's throughput capabilities.
