PBFT Consensus

Definition ∞ PBFT consensus, or Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance consensus, is a specific type of consensus algorithm designed for distributed systems to achieve agreement among nodes even if some nodes are malicious or faulty. It operates by requiring a supermajority of honest nodes to agree on the order and validity of transactions, providing high transaction finality and security in permissioned blockchain environments. It offers deterministic finality, meaning transactions are irreversible once confirmed.
Context ∞ PBFT consensus is often discussed in the context of enterprise blockchain solutions and permissioned networks, where known participants prioritize high throughput and immediate transaction finality. News reports may reference PBFT when evaluating the performance and security of private blockchains or consortium chains used for specific industry applications. Its application contrasts with the probabilistic finality found in public proof-of-work systems.