PoP Consensus & Bitcoin Finality
📜 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.
🌐 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.
👀 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.
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