# Proof-of-Proof Consensus & Bitcoin Finality

{% hint style="info" %}

## 📜 TL;DR:

* In **Proof-of-Proof (PoP) consensus**, a PoP miner periodically publishes proof of the Hemi Network’s state to the Bitcoin blockchain.
* By building on Bitcoin, PoP consensus **inherits the security and finality** of Bitcoin’s consensus.
* After **six Bitcoin blocks**, PoP consensus reaches a state of **superfinality**, where the security of the Hemi Network exceeds that of Bitcoin.
  {% endhint %}

***

## 🌐 Overview

* Proof-of-Proof (PoP) is the Hemi Network’s additive consensus protocol, building on **Bitcoin’s consensus** for superior security. PoP miners publish cryptographic network-state proofs to the Bitcoin blockchain, protecting Hemi consensus with Bitcoin's proof of work.
* Hemi blocks achieve **finality** typically nine blocks (approximately an hour and a half) after their proofs are published to Bitcoin.

***

## ⏱️ Finality Delay in the Hemi Network

* The Hemi Network accounts for fluctuations in Bitcoin's transaction fees and block timings, recognizing that network-state proofs might not appear in every block.
* To manage this variability, a **finality delay** of nine Bitcoin blocks is implemented.

> If no competing fork publishes proofs to Bitcoin during this period, the network assumes finality, requiring a **51% attack on both the Hemi and Bitcoin networks** to alter this.

***

{% hint style="success" %}

## 👀 Sneak Peek WIP

*♾️ Superfinality: A New Benchmark in Blockchain Security*

*Upon reaching this finality, the Hemi Network attains a state of **'superfinality,'** where its chain state's security surpasses Bitcoin's.*

*How?*

*This is achieved by combining Bitcoin’s **Proof-of-Work** consensus with Hemi’s **Proof-of-Stake**. After superfinality, altering the Hemi Network’s state proof would be economically infeasible even for nation-states. An attacker would need so simultaneously 51% attack Bitcoin and Hemi, which is even harder than attacking Bitcoin itself.*
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.hemi.xyz/foundational-topics/the-architecture/proof-of-proof/pop-consensus-and-bitcoin-finality.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
