Definition ∞ Consistency means all network nodes see the same data, while liveness means the network continues to process transactions. In distributed systems, consistency ensures that every successful data write is immediately visible to all subsequent reads across the network, maintaining a unified view of the system state. Liveness, conversely, guarantees that the system will eventually process non-faulty transactions and make progress, preventing indefinite stalls or deadlocks. These two properties represent a fundamental trade-off in distributed system design, particularly relevant for blockchain protocols.
Context ∞ The interplay between consistency and liveness is a critical consideration in blockchain protocol design, especially when discussing the security and usability of decentralized networks. News articles often reference these concepts when analyzing network outages, forks, or upgrades, explaining how different consensus mechanisms prioritize one over the other. Debates often focus on achieving an optimal balance to support both robust data integrity and continuous transaction processing under varying network conditions.
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