What Are ‘Consensus Rules’ in a Blockchain Network?

Consensus rules are the set of agreed-upon protocols and criteria that all participating nodes in a decentralized network must follow to validate blocks and transactions. These rules define the blockchain's state, such as the maximum block size, the halving schedule, and the validity checks for transactions.

Following these rules ensures that all nodes maintain a single, consistent version of the ledger.

How Do Decentralized Oracle Networks (DONs) Mitigate the Single Point of Failure Risk?
How Does a Blockchain’s Shared Ledger Structure Simplify Cross-Border Regulatory Reporting?
What Is an ‘Agreed-upon Procedures’ Engagement in Accounting and How Does It Relate to Attestations?
Explain the Concept of “Proof-of-Stake” (PoS) Consensus Mechanism
What Is a Blockchain Node and How Does It Validate Smart Contract Execution?
How Does the Longest Chain Rule Prevent Double-Spending in PoW?
How Does a Transaction Get Broadcast to the Mempools of Different Nodes?
How Do Full Nodes Share Mempool Data to Improve Network-Wide Fee Estimation?

Glossar