Definition ∞ Non-Parallelizable Delay refers to a computational process that inherently resists being sped up by distributing its work across multiple processors or machines. Such a delay is sequential, meaning each step depends on the completion of the previous one, making parallelization ineffective. This property is intentionally incorporated into certain cryptographic designs to impose a minimum real-world time cost for an attacker. It acts as a security mechanism.
Context ∞ Non-parallelizable delays are a key element in some proof-of-work variations and verifiable delay functions, designed to make certain attacks economically prohibitive. News reports discussing the security models of specific blockchains or the fairness of random number generation might mention this concept. Its application aims to ensure that even with vast computational resources, an attacker cannot significantly reduce the time required to perform a malicious action.
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