Quorum Certificates

Definition ∞ Quorum certificates are cryptographic proofs used in certain Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus protocols to attest that a supermajority of validators has agreed on a specific state or block proposal. A quorum certificate is generated when a sufficient number of honest nodes sign off on a particular message. This certificate provides strong evidence of agreement, allowing nodes to confidently advance the consensus process. They serve as a verifiable record of collective approval.
Context ∞ Quorum certificates are central to the security and finality properties of protocols like HotStuff, which are gaining traction in high-performance blockchain designs. News about advancements in consensus algorithms often mentions quorum certificates as a mechanism for achieving fast and verifiable agreement. Their implementation helps to ensure that once a block is certified, it is considered final and irreversible.