Block time is the average amount of time it takes for a new block to be validated and added to a blockchain. It directly impacts transaction confirmation speed and network throughput. Bitcoin has an average block time of approximately 10 minutes, while Ethereum targets around 12 seconds. Block time is regulated by the network's difficulty adjustment algorithm, which increases or decreases mining difficulty to maintain a consistent interval between blocks.
Example
“Ethereum's 12-second block time means transactions are typically confirmed much faster than on Bitcoin's network with its 10-minute block time.”