Non-Participation Penalty

Definition ∞ A non-participation penalty is a disincentive mechanism applied to network participants who fail to perform their required duties or remain inactive. This penalty typically involves a financial deduction from staked assets or a loss of rewards. Its purpose is to encourage continuous engagement and maintain the operational health of a decentralized system. Such penalties are crucial for upholding protocol integrity.
Context ∞ In proof-of-stake blockchains, non-participation penalties are a fundamental aspect of the economic security model, ensuring validators consistently contribute to block production and validation. Debates often address the appropriate severity of these penalties to deter inactivity without overly punishing honest but temporarily disconnected participants. This mechanism helps to secure the network against passive attacks and maintain liveness.