diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MarkdownRendererImpl.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MarkdownRendererImpl.tsx
index 943e91c6..7a43ead2 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MarkdownRendererImpl.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/chat/MarkdownRendererImpl.tsx
@@ -843,6 +843,7 @@ const useMorphdomMarkdown = ({
       // Reconcile per block: only re-morph blocks whose content changed, leaving
       // stable leading blocks untouched. Keeps per-stream-step DOM work bounded
       // to the trailing (growing) block instead of the whole message.
+      let enteredThisPass = 0;
       blocks.forEach((block, index) => {
         let el = existing[index];
         let isNewBlock = false;
@@ -863,9 +864,16 @@ const useMorphdomMarkdown = ({
           // goes on the block's children — the wrapper is display:contents
           // and cannot animate — and the transform never changes layout, so
           // row measurement stays exact. Skipped for the first block so a
-          // full initial render does not shimmer.
+          // full initial render does not shimmer. Several blocks committed
+          // in one tick cascade with a small stagger instead of popping in
+          // together.
+          const delayMs = Math.min(enteredThisPass, 4) * 55;
+          enteredThisPass += 1;
           for (const child of Array.from(temp.children)) {
             child.classList.add('oc-md-block-enter');
+            if (delayMs > 0 && child instanceof HTMLElement) {
+              child.style.setProperty('--oc-md-enter-delay', `${delayMs}ms`);
+            }
           }
         }
         const hadMermaidBlock = shouldRefreshMermaidViewers(el);
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/index.css b/packages/ui/src/index.css
index 4b631c6b..a9f2fdc6 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/index.css
+++ b/packages/ui/src/index.css
@@ -1378,21 +1378,29 @@ html:not(.dark) .chat-scroll {
   }
 }
 
-/* A block committed mid-stream enters with a short fade-and-rise; the
-   transform is paint-only, so virtualized row measurement is unaffected. */
+/* A block committed mid-stream materializes: fade, a gentle rise, and a
+   touch of blur resolving. Transform and filter are paint-only, so
+   virtualized row measurement is unaffected. Blocks committed in the same
+   tick cascade via --oc-md-enter-delay set inline by the renderer. */
 @keyframes oc-md-block-enter {
   from {
     opacity: 0;
-    transform: translateY(4px);
+    transform: translateY(10px);
+    filter: blur(2px);
+  }
+  60% {
+    filter: blur(0);
   }
   to {
     opacity: 1;
     transform: none;
+    filter: none;
   }
 }
 
 .oc-md-block-enter {
-  animation: oc-md-block-enter 140ms ease-out both;
+  animation: oc-md-block-enter 320ms cubic-bezier(0.22, 1, 0.36, 1) both;
+  animation-delay: var(--oc-md-enter-delay, 0ms);
 }
 
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {