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Ethereum: Why was it chosen to adjust difficulty every 2 weeks (rather than 2 days or every few blocks)?

Published by Terlumun Aondover on February 6th, 2025.

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The Ethereum Difficulty Adjustment: A Complex History

When Ethereum was first launched in 2015, its developers chose to adjust the difficulty target every 2 days. However, this decision has sparked debate among users and analysts over the years. In this article, we’ll delve into why it was chosen to adjust difficulty every 2 weeks, and whether there’s a benefit to adjusting it more frequently.

The Early Days: 2-Day Adjustment

At launch, Ethereum’s block time was 15 seconds (or 1 block per day). As the network grew, so did its capacity to handle the increasing transaction volume. The developers wanted to ensure that the network could scale without encountering bottlenecks and network congestion issues.

The 2-day adjustment period was chosen as a compromise between providing sufficient mining incentives while minimizing the impact on the overall network performance. By adjusting difficulty every day, miners would receive a relatively steady incentive to validate transactions, even if it meant slower block times. This allowed for some flexibility in handling minor variations in network conditions and provided an opportunity for the developers to fine-tune the difficulty adjustments as needed.

The Benefits of 2-Week Adjustment

So why was 2 weeks chosen over other adjustment periods? The main advantage is that this allows for a more gradual adjustment of mining incentives, which can help mitigate the effects of network congestion. With less frequent changes in block times, miners are better equipped to adapt to minor fluctuations in network conditions.

Another benefit is that this period provides some breathing room for developers to make adjustments to their mining hardware and software as needed. By allowing for a slower adjustment process, they can take time to test and refine new hardware or optimize existing setups without causing significant disruptions to the overall network.

The Drawbacks of More Frequent Adjustments

On the other hand, adjusting difficulty every 2 days (or every few blocks) has some drawbacks:

Increased variability: With more frequent changes in block times, miners are exposed to greater variability in transaction processing times. This can lead to increased latency and decreased performance for users, especially when dealing with high-frequency transactions.

Reduced mining incentives: More frequent adjustments may reduce the incentive for miners to invest time and resources in optimizing their hardware and software. As a result, they may be less motivated to participate in the validation process, leading to reduced overall network activity.

The Current Paradigm: 2 Week Adjustment

In recent years, Ethereum’s developers have gradually shifted towards adjusting difficulty every 4 weeks (or approximately every few blocks) instead of every day or 2 days. This change is aimed at maintaining a more consistent and predictable block time while still allowing for some flexibility in handling minor fluctuations.

By reducing the frequency of adjustments, the network can better cope with changing conditions, such as increased transaction volume or reduced network congestion. Additionally, this period provides a smoother transition between different mining algorithms and hardware configurations, which can lead to improved overall network performance.

Conclusion

The choice of adjusting Ethereum’s difficulty every 2 weeks (or approximately every few blocks) has been influenced by a combination of technical factors, including the need for gradual adjustment, reduced variability, and increased mining incentives. While more frequent adjustments have their drawbacks, the current paradigm offers a better balance between predictability and adaptability.

As the network continues to evolve, it’s likely that future adjustments will be made based on ongoing analysis and testing.