Finality Latency

Definition ∞ Finality latency is the time required for a transaction on a blockchain to be irreversibly confirmed and considered final. This measurement indicates how quickly a transaction can be trusted as permanent and unalterable. Lower finality latency signifies faster settlement and improved user experience for many applications. Different blockchain consensus mechanisms exhibit varying levels of finality latency.
Context ∞ Finality latency is a critical performance metric for blockchain networks, particularly for payment systems and decentralized applications requiring rapid confirmations. News often compares the finality latency of various Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions. High finality latency can hinder real-world adoption, while low latency enhances usability and security. Ongoing research and protocol upgrades frequently target improvements in this area to support broader utility.