Slashing

Delegator

A token holder who assigns staking power to a validator while typically retaining ownership of the underlying assets.

Proof of Stake

Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus algorithm that selects validators to create new blocks based on the amount of cryptocurrency they hold and are willing to 'stake' as collateral. Unlike Proof of Work, which requires massive computational power, PoS incentivizes network security by penalizing malicious actors through 'slashing,' where their staked assets are forfeited. This mechanism is significantly more energy-efficient and has become the standard for modern, scalable blockchain protocols seeking to balance security with sustainability.

Slashing

A proof-of-stake penalty that removes part of a validator's stake for specified protocol violations or malicious behavior.

Validator

A validator is an entity or individual responsible for verifying, authenticating, and recording transactions on a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain. Validators stake their own tokens as collateral, ensuring they act in the interest of the network. If they process fraudulent transactions, their staked tokens may be 'slashed' as a penalty. They play a critical role in reaching consensus, creating new blocks, and maintaining the decentralization of the distributed ledger.

Jailing

The temporary suspension of a validator from active consensus duties after specified faults or downtime.

Staking Reward

Protocol compensation distributed to validators or delegators for participating in network security and consensus.