Definition ∞ Strong consistency refers to a data consistency model in distributed systems, including blockchains, where every read operation returns the most recently written value. All nodes in the system agree on the exact order of operations. This property ensures that once a transaction is confirmed, its effects are immediately and universally visible and agreed upon across the entire network. It provides a high degree of data integrity.
Context ∞ Strong consistency is a desirable property for many blockchain applications, particularly those requiring absolute data integrity and predictability. Discussions often address the trade-offs involved in achieving strong consistency in decentralized environments, often balancing it against availability and partition tolerance. A critical future development involves designing consensus protocols and distributed ledger architectures that can maintain strong consistency guarantees while also achieving high scalability and performance.