Consensus Mechanism

The process by which distributed components agree on a single state — solving the fundamental problem of coordination without central authority.

In blockchain systems, consensus mechanisms determine how nodes reach agreement on valid transactions and block ordering. Examples include Proof of Work (computational puzzles), Proof of Stake (economic collateral), and Byzantine Fault Tolerant protocols (voting rounds).

Systems Connection

Consensus is a feedback process operating at the system level. Each node proposes and validates based on local information, yet the network emerges to a shared state. The mechanism defines the boundary of valid behavior — what counts as a legitimate state transition.

See Also

• Cryptoeconomics — parent domain
• Protocol — the rules consensus enforces
• Mechanism Design — engineering consensus incentives