Two-Round Protocol

Definition ∞ A two-round protocol is a cryptographic or communication protocol that completes its operation in exactly two message exchanges between the participating parties. In the context of digital assets, this means that after an initial message from one party, the other party responds with a single message, and the protocol concludes. Such protocols are highly valued for their efficiency and low latency, minimizing communication overhead and speeding up transaction finality or proof verification. They are often sought in distributed systems for performance benefits.
Context ∞ Two-round protocols are frequently discussed in blockchain scalability and privacy solution news, especially in relation to efficient zero-knowledge proofs, signature schemes, and multi-party computation. Their efficiency makes them attractive for applications requiring rapid interaction, such as fast payment channels or quick verifiable computations. A critical future development involves designing more complex cryptographic tasks to be achievable within a two-round structure, thereby improving the overall performance and responsiveness of decentralized applications.