Cryptocurrency Glossary

An attack where a single entity controls a majority of the network's consensus power (hash rate in PoW, stake in PoS), …

A signed message from a validator indicating a vote or approval for a block/state in a consensus protocol. Attestations…

A property of distributed systems that continue operating correctly even if some nodes act arbitrarily or maliciously. …

A change to the canonical chain tip when a node switches from one branch to another due to the fork choice rule. Reorgs…

The process by which distributed nodes agree on a single shared state (e.g. the current blockchain). A consensus algori…

A larger time period grouping multiple slots/blocks, often used for scheduling validator responsibilities and updating …

The point at which a transaction or block is considered irreversible within the protocol's security assumptions. Some s…

The rule nodes use to decide which chain/head to follow when multiple competing branches exist. Examples include the lo…

Greedy Heaviest Observed SubTree: a fork-choice approach that selects the head based on the heaviest observed subtree r…

A designated block producer for a given time window in some protocols. Leaders are often selected via stake-weighted sc…

A predetermined ordering of leaders/validators assigned to produce blocks over upcoming slots. A schedule helps nodes a…

A rule where nodes treat the chain with the greatest accumulated weight (usually work) as canonical. It resolves tempor…

A consensus style used by Bitcoin-like chains that combines Proof of Work with the longest-chain rule. Nodes follow the…

A technique used by Solana to provide a verifiable sequence of time between events using a hash chain. It is used as a …

A consensus mechanism where validators stake assets and are selected to propose/attest blocks. Security comes from econ…

A consensus mechanism where block producers must perform computational work to propose a block. Security comes from the…

A consensus approach used by the XRP Ledger where nodes agree on the next ledger version through rounds of voting among…

A penalty mechanism in staking systems that destroys or confiscates part of a validator's stake for protocol violations…

A discrete time interval in some protocols during which a leader/validator may propose a block. Solana uses slots as a …

A Solana consensus mechanism that builds on a BFT voting process using Proof of History as a source of time. Validators…

In the XRP Ledger, a list of validators a node chooses to trust for consensus. Consensus safety relies on sufficient ov…

A node that participates in consensus by proposing blocks, attesting to blocks, or voting in a BFT/PoS system. Validato…

A set of validator identities used to determine which votes to consider in a consensus algorithm. Different systems def…