The average block time on the Ethereum blockchain decreased by almost a quarter afterwards the mining difficulty was decreased.

Information reported on Ethereum cake explorer Etherscan shows that from Jan. 1 to Jan. 4, the daily boilerplate block time on the blockchain decreased from 17.16 seconds to 12.96. This translates to a 24.48% shorter cake time.

Chart of the Ethereum average block time March 3-Jan. 4

Chart of the Ethereum average cake time March three-Jan. iv. Source: Etherscan

Manifestly, the block time decrease resulted in a higher number of blocks mined daily and a college Ether (ETH) inflation. According to Etherscan'southward Ethereum cake count and rewards chart, during January. 1, miners create 4,980 new blocks and 10,237 ETH. Meanwhile on Jan. 4 the network'south miners created half-dozen,570 new blocks and xiii,437 new ETH. This is nigh a 32% increase in the number of blocks and over 31% increase in block rewards.

Chart of Ethereum block count and rewards March 3-Jan. 4

Nautical chart of Ethereum block count and rewards March 3-Jan. iv. Source: Etherscan

The changes described above are all consequences of the recent implementation of the Muir Glacier difficult fork, which Cointelegraph reported on Jan. ii. The fork in question is meant to delay the so-called Ethereum ice age, which Cointelegraph reported on. The water ice age protocol increment the network's mining difficulty over time until it makes the mining of the chain practically impossible.

The ice historic period will come about through a serial of difficulty bombs, is ultimately a measure meant to forbid miners from continuing to mine the old Ethereum concatenation after the Ethereum two.0 proof-of-stake blockchain deploys.