Understanding Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT)
Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) addresses a significant problem in computer science, particularly in distributed computer systems, including cryptocurrencies.
Navigating Consensus in the Face of Betrayal
To illustrate the challenge, consider the Byzantine Generals’ Problem, a famous thought experiment.
Imagine multiple Byzantine generals camped around an enemy city, communicating only through messengers.
They must collectively decide whether to attack or retreat. However, some generals may be traitors, actively working against reaching a consensus.
The Challenge of Malicious Nodes
In the realm of decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), they essentially function as distributed computer systems.
These networks consist of individual nodes operated by independent individuals or organizations, competing to process transactions and append them to the blockchain.
With nodes geographically dispersed, operating independently, and without a central authority, it becomes difficult to ascertain which nodes may provide erroneous or malicious transaction information.