Asynchronous Communication

Definition ∞ Asynchronous communication involves the exchange of information without requiring simultaneous interaction between participants. Messages are sent and received independently, allowing processes to operate at their own pace. This method decouples the sender from the receiver, preventing delays caused by waiting for an immediate response. It is a fundamental design principle in distributed systems, including many blockchain architectures.
Context ∞ In cryptocurrency and blockchain contexts, asynchronous communication is critical for network scalability and resilience. Transactions are broadcast and processed by nodes at varying times, not instantly. News often highlights protocol upgrades aiming to improve transaction throughput and finality by optimizing asynchronous message passing among validators or across different layers.