Community Consensus Layer

Definition ∞ The community consensus layer represents the collective agreement and decision-making process among participants in a decentralized network. This layer reflects the social and political will of token holders and validators regarding protocol upgrades, parameter changes, and overall direction. It functions as a critical, human-driven component complementing technical consensus mechanisms. This social coordination ensures the protocol remains aligned with its user base’s values and needs.
Context ∞ News frequently reports on governance proposals and voting outcomes, illustrating the direct impact of this layer on protocol evolution. Challenges often include achieving broad participation and preventing undue influence by large token holders, making discussions about governance design highly pertinent.