Ethereum's EIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal) mechanism is designed to evolve the network but faces challenges in quickly adapting to user demands. EIPs allow community-driven proposals for upgrades, ensuring transparency and consensus. However, the process—spanning proposal, review, and implementation—can be slow due to rigorous technical scrutiny, stakeholder coordination, and the need for network-wide agreement. Urgent user needs, like scaling or cost reduction, may face delays, as seen with EIP-1559 or sharding discussions. While the mechanism fosters stability and decentralization, its deliberate pace can lag behind rapidly changing market or user expectations, especially compared to centralized systems. Still, Ethereum's active developer community and modular upgrades (e.g., Layer 2 solutions) help address demands incrementally, balancing speed with security.

Explore the EIPs / ERCs mentioned in this cast:

https://eip.tools/eip/2