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Subblocks in Ergo#

TLDR

With the renaming and introduction of sub-blocks, Ergo now distinguishes between sub-blocks (also called input blocks) and full blocks (now called ordering blocks). This change reduces typical onchain confirmation times from about 2 minutes to roughly 2 seconds, achieving a 17× improvement in detecting transaction failures and transforming the current competitive mempool into a more cooperative environment.

What Are Sub-blocks and Ordering Blocks?#

  • Sub-blocks (Input Blocks):
    These are block candidates generated with a lower difficulty threshold than full blocks. They are produced approximately once per second and carry most transaction data. This allows transactions to propagate and confirm much faster.

  • Ordering Blocks:
    These are the traditional full blocks of Ergo’s proof-of-work system, now renamed as ordering blocks. They are generated roughly every 2 minutes and maintain the overall consensus and security of the blockchain.

Note: The naming “input blocks” (or sub-blocks) and “ordering blocks” was proposed in detail in this document.

Enhanced User Experience#

  • Rapid Onchain Confirmations:
    Everyday transactions—like receiving tokens from decentralized exchange (DEX) swaps or wallet-to-wallet transfers—are now confirmed in approximately 2 seconds.

  • Faster Failure Detection:
    Instead of waiting up to 6 minutes to detect a transaction failure, the new system detects failures in about 2 seconds—a 17× improvement in responsiveness.

  • A More Cooperative Mempool:
    The design shift transforms the mempool from a competitive (PvP) environment into a cooperative, multiplayer-like system, enhancing overall network responsiveness.

In a Nutshell#

Ergo’s renaming and introduction of sub-blocks (input blocks) paired with ordering blocks significantly improves transaction processing speed and reliability. These changes provide users with near-instant confirmations and faster failure detection, thereby offering a smoother and more efficient experience on the network.

For a deep dive into the technical details behind these changes, see the technical details.