The Blast network, an Ethereum layer-2 solution, has announced a significant reduction in withdrawal times, cutting them from 14 days to just 7 days.

This update, shared via a recent post on their new official account @blast, marks a departure from their previous strategy of longer withdrawal times

Layer-2 Ethereum network Blast has announced a significant reduction in withdrawal times, cutting them from 14 days to just 7 days.

This update was shared by Blast via a recent post on its new official account, @blast. It marks a departure from their previous strategy of maintaining longer withdrawal times to accommodate Lido withdrawals.

Previously, bridging from Blast to Ethereum took 14 days. This timeline was set in order to provide a buffer for Lido withdrawals, which Blast (currently) relies on for ETH yield.

However, after closely monitoring withdrawal activities for four months, Blast’s development team concluded that most withdrawal requests can be handled efficiently with a shorter buffer period. They noted that rare cases may still require longer than the standard 7 days.

In contrast to withdrawal times, deposits from Ethereum to Blast will continue to be processed swiftly, typically taking only minutes as per the network’s latest update.

Critics have noted a symbolic shift with Blast rebranding its official handle from @blast_l2 to @blast and describing itself as a “full stack chain.” This change has sparked speculation among industry observers, including former Aave contributor Jim, who suggested that Blast’s move indicates a potential shift away from being solely an Ethereum layer-2 solution.

Founder Tieshun Roquerre, known as “Pacman,” clarified in a recent video that while Blast currently operates as an Ethereum layer-2 implementation, the network’s future direction could evolve beyond this designation if it better serves user interests and adds significant value.

Earlier this summer, Blast launched phase 1 of its BLAST token airdrop on June 26, coinciding with a notable 40% increase in token value. Despite this initial surge, the token’s price has since dipped to $0.017, slightly below its launch price of $0.02, according to CoinMarketCap data.

For Blast, these developments underscore its evolving role within the blockchain ecosystem, emphasizing flexibility and responsiveness to user needs as it navigates potential transitions to a broader blockchain framework.