Tezos Activates 17th Protocol Upgrade, Quebec, Boosting Speed and Network Sustainability

Paris, France — The Tezos blockchain has reached a new milestone with the activation of its 17th protocol upgrade, Quebec, marking significant advancements in speed, security, and sustainability. Developed by Nomadic Labs, Trilitech, and Functori, Quebec reflects Tezos’ commitment to continuous innovation through its unique self-amending and community-driven governance.

—

Key Highlights

Faster Transactions: Block time reduced to 8 seconds, achieving 16-second transaction finality.
Enhanced Staking: Bakers can accept more external stake, with staking rewards tripling compared to delegation.
Optimized Economics: Staking rewards adjusted to minimize inflation while ensuring security.

This upgrade delivers faster transactions by reducing Layer 1 block times from 10 seconds to 8 seconds, allowing for 16-second transaction finality. This improvement enhances Tezos’ suitability for applications like payments, gaming, and other time-sensitive use cases.

Despite the speed boost, hardware requirements remain unchanged, ensuring Tezos remains accessible to validators using cost-effective infrastructure, preserving its hallmark decentralization.

Stronger Network Security Through Enhanced Staking

Quebec refines Tezos’ staking mechanics to bolster network security while maintaining economic efficiency. Key changes include:

Higher External Stake Limits: Bakers can now accept up to 9x their own stake, up from 5x, making staking more inclusive and attractive.
Increased Rewards for Staking: Staking now earns 3x the rewards compared to delegation, incentivizing direct participation.
Adaptive Issuance Refinements: Adjustments to Tezos’ issuance model ensure rewards remain aligned with security needs while avoiding unnecessary inflation.
“With the Quebec upgrade, Tezos has become faster, economically stronger, and more attractive for staking – all without compromising on decentralization. It’s a remarkable achievement by the protocol developers and a significant step toward realizing the vision of Tezos X.”

Yann Régis-Gianas, Head of Engineering at Nomadic Labs
He added, “The Quebec upgrade shows Tezos’ ability to evolve through decentralized governance, and with broad stakeholder involvement. I particularly valued the in-depth community conversations on tokenomics and how to keep inflation strictly tied to the chain’s long-term security.”

Building the Future with Tezos X

Quebec represents another step toward realizing the vision outlined in Tezos X, a roadmap for unifying the network’s future. This latest upgrade underscores Tezos’ long-term upgradability, fueled by a community dedicated to advancing the blockchain’s capabilities.

The activation comes as the Tezos ecosystem experiences dynamic growth, highlighted by the recent launch of uranium.io, a marketplace on Etherlink, Tezos’ EVM-compatible Layer 2 solution. By opening access to tokenized real-world assets, uranium.io showcases Tezos’ potential in facilitating cutting-edge blockchain applications, particularly in the tokenization of assets like AI-focused investments.

—

About Tezos

Tezos is an energy-efficient blockchain platform built to empower developers, institutions, and businesses. With a focus on scalability, governance, and decentralized applications, Tezos offers a robust ecosystem that evolves through its innovative on-chain governance. For more information, visit Tezos.com.

Source