++ Network Update - May 18th ++.

18 May 2023, 22:00

++ Network Update - May 18th ++ The latest update has reduced block time to lower levels, and we’re seeing improvement, but we are not quite back to 15 seconds yet. In the meantime, the engineering team has continued to narrow down the root cause and develop solutions to bring Findora's block time back to normal speeds. Here's what the engineering team is finding: The block time is determined by several factors, including certain timers executed by all validators. Those timers include a waiting period for collecting enough votes from their peers. However, if this timer expires before the node receives enough votes, the vote proposed to the leader is invalid. When this occurs, the process restarts, a new leader is elected, and the timer counts down again for a new round of votes for the same block. Engineers are observing this behind the scenes, and you can see how this can result in a significantly long block time, depending on how many rounds it takes to receive enough valid votes. The timer is expiring too quickly before enough votes are collected. Engineers are implementing a timer change to prevent the process from repeating and extending block time. The latest non-mandatory update modified this timer to reduce average block time, and we can see the results on Findorascan. However, we need block time to go even lower; additional modifications are needed. The engineering team is testing a new update on devnet, and we'll have more information to share once testing completes. If all goes well, a new, mandatory upgrade will be distributed over the next few days, and all validators will have ample opportunity to install it before the cut-off time. Please stay tuned for more information. I hope you find this helpful, and please don't hesitate to ask me any questions.