Leader Rotation

Definition ∞ Leader rotation is a mechanism in distributed consensus protocols where the role of proposing the next block or state update is regularly assigned to different network participants. This process helps prevent any single entity from gaining undue control or becoming a central point of failure. It enhances decentralization and resistance to censorship.
Context ∞ News reports on various blockchain consensus algorithms frequently discuss leader rotation as a feature that contributes to network security and fairness. Proof-of-Stake systems, for example, often implement sophisticated leader rotation schemes to select validators who propose new blocks. The effectiveness and randomness of leader rotation are critical factors in evaluating a protocol’s resilience and its ability to avoid cartelization.