Fault Tolerant State

Definition ∞ A fault tolerant state describes a system’s ability to maintain correct operation and data consistency even when some of its components fail. In decentralized networks, this means the blockchain continues to process transactions and reach consensus despite the presence of malfunctioning or malicious nodes. It is a fundamental property for robust and reliable distributed systems.
Context ∞ Fault tolerant state is a core concept frequently discussed in news concerning blockchain security and network resilience. Consensus mechanisms like Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) are designed to achieve this property, ensuring that the network can withstand a certain proportion of compromised participants. The ongoing research into more efficient and secure fault tolerance methods remains a significant focus for blockchain development.