Sub-hub archive

Foundations: Consensus

Articles

Current page

Page 1 of 2

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What is a Validator?

Learn what a validator is in blockchain consensus: how validators use stake, signatures, and protocol rules to propose blocks, vote, and secure proof-of-stake networks.

26 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What is Sybil Resistance?

Learn what Sybil resistance is, why open blockchains need it, and how proof-of-work, proof-of-stake, and other designs make influence costly.

24 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is Slashing?

Learn what slashing is in proof-of-stake consensus, how it punishes validator equivocation, and why it matters for security and finality.

23 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is Slot and Epoch?

Learn what slots and epochs are in blockchain consensus, why they exist, and how they coordinate block proposals, voting, committees, and finality.

22 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is Consensus Safety?

Learn what consensus safety means in blockchains: how protocols prevent conflicting finality, why safety differs from liveness, and what assumptions it needs.

25 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What is Proof of Work?

Learn what Proof of Work is, how PoW mining secures blockchains, why it resists Sybil attacks, and the tradeoffs in energy, incentives, and security.

21 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What is Quorum?

Learn what a quorum is in consensus: why overlapping decision sets prevent conflicting outcomes, and how majority and 2/3 thresholds work.

23 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is Proof of Stake?

Learn what Proof of Stake is, how it secures blockchains with staked collateral, how validators and finality work, and where the model depends on assumptions.

23 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is a Miner in Blockchain Consensus?

Learn what a miner is in blockchain consensus: how miners create blocks, secure Proof-of-Work chains, earn rewards, and where the model breaks down.

23 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is PBFT (Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance)?

Learn what PBFT is, why it needs 3f+1 replicas, how pre-prepare/prepare/commit work, and where Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance fits in blockchain.

26 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is Proof of Authority?

Learn what Proof of Authority is, how PoA consensus works, why it is fast and cheap, and the tradeoffs it makes in trust, governance, and decentralization.

26 min read

Consensus

Mar 21, 2026

What Is Liveness in Consensus?

Learn what liveness means in consensus: why progress can fail, how it differs from safety, and which assumptions let blockchains keep moving.

24 min read