Censorship Resistance

Definition ∞ Censorship resistance is a core characteristic of decentralized systems that prevents any single entity from blocking or altering transactions or data. This property ensures that network participants can freely engage in activities without fear of arbitrary denial of service or data manipulation. It is achieved through distributed consensus mechanisms and the immutable nature of the ledger. Such resistance is fundamental to the ethos of open and permissionless networks.
Context ∞ Censorship resistance is a frequently cited advantage of blockchain technology, particularly in contexts of political instability or restrictive regulatory environments. News often highlights instances where decentralized platforms have enabled transactions or communications that would be suppressed on centralized systems. Analyzing the degree of censorship resistance offered by different protocols is crucial for understanding their utility in preserving financial sovereignty and free expression.