Definition ∞ Speculative BFT is a Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus approach that tentatively processes transactions before full network agreement is reached. This method attempts to improve transaction speed by allowing nodes to speculatively execute transactions based on an anticipated future state of the ledger. If the speculation proves correct, the transactions are finalized rapidly; if incorrect, they are rolled back. It seeks to accelerate throughput and reduce latency by optimizing for common-case scenarios.
Context ∞ Speculative BFT represents an advanced area of blockchain consensus research, often highlighted in news about protocols aiming for high performance. Debates center on the trade-offs between speed gains and the complexity of managing speculative executions and potential rollbacks. Its development aims to address the scalability limitations of traditional BFT systems, making them suitable for demanding applications.