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Accountable Sharding

Definition

Accountable sharding is a method for dividing a blockchain network into smaller, independent segments. This approach enhances transaction throughput and processing capacity by allowing parallel operations across these segments. Each shard processes a subset of the network’s transactions and maintains its own state. The “accountable” aspect involves mechanisms that ensure the integrity and correct behavior of individual shards, often through cryptographic proofs and penalty systems for misbehavior. This design aims to balance scalability with robust security and data consistency across the entire distributed ledger.