Definition ∞ A public random beacon is a verifiable and unpredictable source of randomness that is accessible to all participants in a decentralized network. This mechanism generates random numbers that are resistant to manipulation and can be independently verified by anyone. It provides a crucial primitive for various cryptographic protocols and decentralized applications requiring unbiased randomness. This ensures fairness and security in random selections.
Context ∞ Public random beacons are a critical topic in news about blockchain security, fair gaming, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). Discussions often focus on the methods used to achieve true randomness and resistance to adversarial influence, such as verifiable delay functions or distributed key generation. The reliable operation of such beacons is essential for the integrity of many decentralized systems that rely on unpredictable outcomes.