Definition ∞ A Consensus Commit Rule establishes the criteria by which a distributed network, such as a blockchain, finalizes and permanently adds a block of transactions to its ledger. This rule dictates the necessary agreement level among network participants for a proposed block to be considered valid and irreversible. It forms a fundamental aspect of a blockchain’s security and data integrity, ensuring all honest nodes record the same sequence of events. The rule is central to preventing double-spending and maintaining the ledger’s consistent state.
Context ∞ The specific implementation of a Consensus Commit Rule varies significantly across different blockchain protocols, impacting transaction finality and overall network security. Discussions often revolve around the number of confirmations or the percentage of validator votes required for a block to be deemed committed. A critical debate involves balancing strict commit rules for security against faster transaction finality for improved user experience. Future developments aim to optimize these rules to achieve both robust security guarantees and high transaction throughput.