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how_qortal_s_consensus_works [02/21/2022 17:46] – gfactor | how_qortal_s_consensus_works [11/02/2023 14:12] (current) – crowetic | ||
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- | Here is an explanation from @CalDescent (Qortal’s current lead core developer) on how exactly the consensus in Qortal functions: | ||
Every node with a Level 5 (or higher) self-share " | Every node with a Level 5 (or higher) self-share " | ||
- | 1. Key distance. This is essentially a lottery for each block, where each minting account has only one ticket each time, and everyone knows the lottery numbers of the other minting accounts. To achieve this, we convert the previous block' | + | 1. **Key distance.** This is essentially a lottery for each block, where each minting account has only one ticket each time, and everyone knows the lottery numbers of the other minting accounts. To achieve this, we convert the previous block' |
- | 2. Minter level. The number from Step 1 is then divided by the account level of the block signer. So a level 5 account would end up with a number 5 times lower than a level 1 account, assuming that they both had comparable key distances. However, if a level 1 produces a key distance 10 times smaller than a level 5, its resulting number would be smaller than the level 5's number. On average, higher levels will produce smaller numbers than lower levels. | + | 2. **Minter level.** The number from Step 1 is then divided by the account level of the block signer. So a level 5 account would end up with a number 5 times lower than a level 1 account, assuming that they both had comparable key distances. However, if a level 1 produces a key distance 10 times smaller than a level 5, its resulting number would be smaller than the level 5's number. On average, higher levels will produce smaller numbers than lower levels. |
- | Lower numbers translate to a lower time delta for the next block, and higher numbers translate to higher time deltas. So some nodes could sign their blocks with a timestamp 50 seconds after the previous block, and others could sign blocks with timestamp 80 seconds after the previous block, etc etc. In practice, timestamps range from around 60-90 seconds because of the way they are weighted, with the average | + | Lower numbers translate to a lower time delta for the next block, and higher numbers translate to higher time deltas. So some nodes could sign their blocks with a timestamp 50 seconds after the previous block, and others could sign blocks with timestamp 80 seconds after the previous block, etc etc. In practice, timestamps range from around 60-90 seconds because of the way they are weighted, with the average historical delta being around 65 seconds. |
Each block has a " | Each block has a " | ||
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Nodes sync to the most ideal block that they can find, and the process repeats. If another, better block is found by a subset of the network, this will eventually propagate through and cause nodes on a different block to " | Nodes sync to the most ideal block that they can find, and the process repeats. If another, better block is found by a subset of the network, this will eventually propagate through and cause nodes on a different block to " | ||
- | To summarize with this system: | ||
- | 1) Higher level accounts are preferred as block signers, on average. | ||
- | 2) Verifiable randomness is created, to ensure that minters on each level get a reasonably equal distribution of blocks signed, and no-one can jump the queue by minting a block with an earlier timestamp than it should have. |