Arbitrum Slows Things Down With Operation Slowmo Launch

If speed in the blockchain world is usually considered an advantage, actually invites us to reflect: does everything have to be lightning fast？ Many users actually feel that being too fast is confusing.

Transactions have not been finished being read, suddenly they have been sent. It feels like being told to read a contract before signing but only being given two blinks of an eye.

By increasing the block time, there are many benefits offered. For one, users have some breathing room before clicking “submit.” On the other hand, this tempo also makes Arbitrum feel more familiar to users from other networks such as Ethereum, which have average block times of around two seconds or more.

Arbitrum Brings Balance to Speed

There is one interesting thing that is often overlooked: high speeds are not necessarily suitable for everyone. Users in areas with limited internet connections often get left behind if the network is too fast. By slowing down the block time, Arbitrum is trying to present a more inclusive global rhythm, not just for those with super-fast connections.

What is also interesting is that this step opens up space for more mature decision-making. For example, users who want to stake, send NFTs, or execute smart contracts can have time to double-check before acting. Sometimes, two seconds are worth more than “instant gratification.”

Between Gaming Ambitions and Market Reality

While this tempo change is happening, the Arbitrum ecosystem is also at another crossroads. On March 25, 2025, the Arbitrum DAO community considered ending its $200 million Gaming Catalyst Program.

The program was originally designed to support blockchain game developers. However, with the ARB token dropping 81% since its launch, its understandable that the community is starting to wonder: is it still relevant？

Furthermore, on the launch of Onchain Labs, a new program from Arbitrum that aims to provide market support for early-stage projects, especially those that are still wild and unstable. This is to add variety to the Arbitrum network. It could be said that this is their attempt to stay relevant while still opening the door to new things.

NFTs, Royalties, and Creator Rights

Arbitrum is also continuing to expand its collaborations. One that caught the attention was its , an NFT platform that recently took a bold step to stop aggregating orders from other marketplaces in order to protect creator rights.

With this integration, Arbitrum is supporting NFT trading that fully respects creator royalties. This step is quite unique amidst the trend of other marketplaces that are actually reducing or even eliminating royalties altogether.

As of the writing time, is trading at about $0.3218, down over the last 24 hours and corrected over the last 7 days.