Delayed Finality

Concept

Delayed finality refers to a characteristic of certain blockchain systems where a transaction’s immutability is not immediate but rather achieved after a specific time period or a series of subsequent blocks. This contrasts with instantaneous finality where transactions are confirmed irrevocably almost immediately. In such systems, there is a probabilistic guarantee of finality that strengthens over time. This design choice often optimizes for scalability or decentralization. It impacts how quickly derivative settlements are considered irreversible.