Selfish Mining Resistance

Definition ∞ Selfish Mining Resistance refers to a blockchain protocol’s ability to prevent or deter miners from engaging in selfish mining strategies. Selfish mining involves withholding newly found blocks to gain an unfair advantage and increase one’s share of block rewards. A protocol with strong resistance ensures that honest mining remains the most profitable strategy. This characteristic is vital for maintaining network fairness and preventing centralization of mining power.
Context ∞ The discussion surrounding Selfish Mining Resistance is a central topic in the design and analysis of proof-of-work consensus mechanisms. A key debate involves the mathematical and economic adjustments necessary to eliminate or significantly reduce the profitability of such attacks. Future developments will focus on advanced game-theoretic analyses and protocol upgrades to continually strengthen this resistance against evolving attack strategies.