System Honesty

Definition ∞ System honesty refers to the integrity and trustworthiness of a computational system, particularly its adherence to specified rules and resistance to malicious manipulation. In decentralized networks, this implies that the system operates as designed, even in the presence of faulty or adversarial participants. It is a fundamental requirement for reliable operation. Honesty ensures predictable and secure outcomes.
Context ∞ In blockchain and distributed ledger technology, system honesty is a central concept discussed in news related to consensus mechanisms and network security. Debates often center on achieving robust honesty guarantees in the face of various attack vectors and scaling challenges. A critical future development involves designing protocols that offer provable levels of system honesty under diverse operational conditions.