Block Time vs Throughput

Block time is the average interval between the creation of new blocks on a blockchain, with Bitcoin targeting approximately 10 minutes per block through automatic difficulty adjustments that ensure consistent block production regardless of total mining power.

Throughput in blockchain refers to the number of transactions a network can process per second (TPS), with Bitcoin's base layer handling approximately 5-7 TPS due to its 10-minute block time and block size limits, deliberately trading speed for security and decentralization.