Consensus & Mining
Intermediate
What is
Finality?
The guarantee that a transaction cannot be reversed or altered once confirmed.
Finality is when a transaction becomes irreversible. In PoW chains like Ergo, finality is probabilistic - each confirmation makes reversal exponentially harder. After enough confirmations, reversal is practically impossible. This differs from some PoS chains that claim instant finality but may have other tradeoffs.
Key Points
- PoW finality is probabilistic
- Each confirmation increases security
- Practically final after 10+ blocks
- Different from instant finality claims
- Trade-off: slower but more secure
- No trusted finality gadget needed
Related Infographics
Related Articles
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Finality
Common questions about this topic
What can I do with Ergo?
Ergo supports a full ecosystem: trade on Spectrum DEX, use SigmaUSD stablecoin, mix transactions with ErgoMixer, collect NFTs on SkyHarbor, mine with GPUs, lend/borrow on DuckPools, bridge to other chains via Rosen, and build dApps with ErgoScript. It's a complete platform for decentralized finance and applications.
Explainer
Getting Started
How do NFTs work on Ergo?
Ergo NFTs are native tokens with quantity of 1, making each unique. Unlike Ethereum where NFTs need smart contracts, Ergo NFTs are first-class protocol citizens. Mint for minimal fees (~0.001 ERG), trade on SkyHarbor marketplace, and enjoy full eUTXO security. NFTs can include rich metadata and royalties.
Explainer
Technology
How to get started with Ergo?
Start by getting a wallet (Nautilus for browser, Terminus for mobile). Back up your seed phrase securely offline. Get some ERG from an exchange (Gate.io, KuCoin) or DEX (Spectrum). Make a test transaction. Then explore: try DeFi on Spectrum, check out NFTs, or dive into the technology if you're a builder.
How-to
Getting Started
How do miners earn money on Ergo?
Ergo miners earn from three sources: block rewards (newly minted ERG), transaction fees, and storage rent. Block rewards decrease over time according to the emission schedule, but storage rent ensures long-term income even after all ERG is mined. Most miners use pools for consistent payouts.
How-to
Mining