Commit-Reveal

Definition ∞ The commit-reveal scheme is a two-phase process used in cryptographic protocols to ensure fairness and prevent participants from altering their decisions after seeing others’ choices. In the first phase, a participant “commits” to a secret value by submitting a cryptographically secured hash of it. In the second phase, they “reveal” the actual secret value, allowing verification against the initial commitment. This method is vital for applications requiring verifiable randomness or secure multi-party computations.
Context ∞ Discussions around commit-reveal mechanisms are particularly relevant in the context of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and prediction markets, where transparent and tamper-proof decision-making is paramount. Debates often center on the computational efficiency and security implications of different hashing algorithms and reveal timing. Future developments may involve optimizing these schemes for on-chain execution and exploring their application in zero-knowledge proof systems for enhanced privacy.