Definition ∞ Event-driven consensus refers to a type of distributed agreement protocol where nodes reach a consensus based on the occurrence of specific network events rather than fixed time intervals. Instead of regularly proposing blocks, participants react to and process transactions or state changes as they happen. This dynamic approach can potentially improve network responsiveness and resource utilization. It allows the system to adapt its processing pace to actual demand.
Context ∞ Event-driven consensus mechanisms are a subject of active research in distributed ledger technology, seeking to overcome the latency and throughput limitations of traditional block-based systems. Discussions often involve their application in high-frequency trading platforms or real-time data processing within decentralized finance. News reports may cover new protocols that leverage this model to enhance transaction speed and network efficiency.