# What Is the Difference between "Justified" and "Finalized" Blocks? ⎊ Path

**Published:** 2025-12-04
**Author:** Greeks.live
**Categories:** Path

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## What Is the Difference between “Justified” and “Finalized” Blocks?

A block is considered "justified" when two-thirds of the validators have attested to it, indicating strong agreement. A block becomes "finalized" when the subsequent block is also justified.

Finalization requires two consecutive epochs (a period of 6.4 minutes) of two-thirds supermajority attestations. Finalized blocks are considered irreversible, meaning they cannot be reverted without a massive, coordinated, and economically suicidal attack.

- [In What Scenarios Might a Short Vesting Period Be Justified?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/in-what-scenarios-might-a-short-vesting-period-be-justified/)

- [How Does Cryptography Ensure Immutability?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/how-does-cryptography-ensure-immutability/)

- [How Does a Transaction Become ‘Final’ on a Blockchain?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/how-does-a-transaction-become-final-on-a-blockchain/)

- [What Is the Significance of the Genesis Block in the Context of the Longest Chain Rule?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-significance-of-the-genesis-block-in-the-context-of-the-longest-chain-rule/)

- [How Does a PoS System Recover from a Situation Where Finality Is Not Achieved?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/how-does-a-pos-system-recover-from-a-situation-where-finality-is-not-achieved/)

- [What Is the Role of ‘Checkpointing’ in Achieving Finality in Some PoS Systems?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-role-of-checkpointing-in-achieving-finality-in-some-pos-systems/)

- [Explain the Concept of “Economic Finality” in a PoS Blockchain](https://learn.greeks.live/path/explain-the-concept-of-economic-finality-in-a-pos-blockchain/)

- [What Is the Role of a “Supermajority” in PoS Finality?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-role-of-a-supermajority-in-pos-finality/)

## Glossar

### [Finality Mechanism](https://learn.greeks.live/area/finality-mechanism/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)

Assurance ⎊ Finality Mechanism refers to the consensus protocol feature that guarantees, with an extremely high degree of probability or certainty, that a recorded transaction or state change on the blockchain cannot be reversed or altered.

### [Finalized Blocks](https://learn.greeks.live/area/finalized-blocks/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)

Settlement ⎊ The point at which a block of transactions is permanently added to the blockchain ensures that the data cannot be altered.

### [Two Consecutive Epochs](https://learn.greeks.live/area/two-consecutive-epochs/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)

Periodicity ⎊ Two Consecutive Epochs defines the specific, sequential time interval required in certain Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanisms for a block to transition from a justified state to a finalized, irreversible state.

## Discover More

### [What Is the Difference between a Technical Roadmap and a Business Development Roadmap?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-a-technical-roadmap-and-a-business-development-roadmap/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between a Technical Roadmap and a Business Development Roadmap?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Precision-Engineering-of-Decentralized-Finance-Derivatives-Pricing-Oracles-and-Risk-Management-Systems.webp)

Technical focuses on engineering (mainnet, features); business focuses on partnerships, listings, and marketing.

### [What Is the Difference between MEV and a Standard Transaction Fee?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-mev-and-a-standard-transaction-fee/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between MEV and a Standard Transaction Fee?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Decentralized-Autonomous-Organization-Structure-Visualization-Intersecting-Digital-Asset-Underlay-and-Quantum-Computing-Driven-Derivatives-Engine.webp)

Standard fee is a transparent, voluntary payment; MEV is additional, non-transparent profit from strategic transaction ordering.

### [What Is the Difference between a 'Delivery' and a 'Cash-Settled' Futures Contract?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-a-delivery-and-a-cash-settled-futures-contract/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between a 'Delivery' and a 'Cash-Settled' Futures Contract?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Macro-Analysis-of-High-Frequency-Trading-Hardware-Interfacing-with-Blockchain-Protocol-Settlement-Mechanisms.webp)

Delivery: requires physical exchange of the asset. Cash-settled: difference in price is paid in cash or stablecoin upon expiration.

### [What Is the Difference between "Active Staking" and "Delegated Staking" in a DON?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-active-staking-and-delegated-staking-in-a-don/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between "Active Staking" and "Delegated Staking" in a DON?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Symmetric-Bifurcation-Visualization-of-Cryptocurrency-Volatility-Surface-and-Option-Gamma-Exposure-Dynamics.webp)

Active = Run Node; Delegated = Token Proxy (Participation Method Distinction)

### [What Is the Key Difference between TWAP and Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP)?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-key-difference-between-twap-and-volume-weighted-average-price-vwap/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Key Difference between TWAP and Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP)?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Decentralized-Ledger-Tokenization-Construct-Bifurcation-High-Frequency-Arbitrage-Mechanism-Visualization.webp)

TWAP weights time equally; VWAP weights price by trade volume.

### [What Is the Difference between Cross Margin and Isolated Margin in Perpetual Swap Trading?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-cross-margin-and-isolated-margin-in-perpetual-swap-trading/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between Cross Margin and Isolated Margin in Perpetual Swap Trading?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Crystalline-Bifurcation-Balancing-Volatile-Digital-Asset-Swaption-Payoffs-Across-Impermanent-Loss-Vectors.webp)

Isolated margin limits collateral to one position; cross margin uses the entire account balance as collateral for all positions.

### [What Is the Difference between Physically-Settled and Cash-Settled Crypto Futures?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-physically-settled-and-cash-settled-crypto-futures/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between Physically-Settled and Cash-Settled Crypto Futures?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Symmetry-in-Blockchain-Asset-Hedging-Symmetric-Pairwise-Futures-Contract-Execution-Visualized.webp)

Physically-settled delivers the crypto asset; cash-settled pays the profit/loss difference in fiat or stablecoin.

### [What Is the Difference between a Public Mempool and a Private Transaction Pool?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-a-public-mempool-and-a-private-transaction-pool/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between a Public Mempool and a Private Transaction Pool?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Metallic-Hinge-Mechanism-Detailing-on-a-Matte-Blue-Hardware-Unit-Reflecting-Digital-Asset-Volatility-Surfaces.webp)

A public mempool is visible to all; a private pool is a closed channel between a user and a block producer, hiding the transaction from bots.

### [What Is the Difference between an Algorithmic and a Fiat-Backed Stablecoin?](https://learn.greeks.live/path/what-is-the-difference-between-an-algorithmic-and-a-fiat-backed-stablecoin/?utm_source=crypto.greeks.live&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=satellite)
![What Is the Difference between an Algorithmic and a Fiat-Backed Stablecoin?](https://learn.greeks.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Intertwined-Cross-Sectional-View-of-On-Chain-Derivatives-Mechanisms-Indicating-Liquidity-Pools.webp)

Fiat-backed uses off-chain assets; algorithmic uses on-chain mechanisms to manage supply and price stability.

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**Original URL:** https://learn.greeks.live/learn/what-is-the-difference-between-justified-and-finalized-blocks/
