DPoS Consensus
Vaulta uses a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism, a system designed for high throughput, fast finality, and efficient governance. Unlike traditional Proof-of-Work (PoW) or even regular Proof-of-Stake (PoS), DPoS emphasizes delegated voting and block producer elections to validate transactions and maintain network integrity. Token holders have governance power relative to their stake in the system.
DPoS allows the Vaulta blockchain to achieve block times of 0.5 seconds, near-instant finality, and horizontal scalability, making it suitable for high-performance decentralized applications.
How Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) Works
1. Token Holders Elect Block Producers
In Vaulta, every account holding Vaulta tokens can vote for up to 30 Block Producer (BP) candidates. The votes are weighted based on the number of tokens staked by the voter. Token holders are incentivized to vote for trustworthy and performant BPs, as these entities validate transactions and govern the network.
The top 21 Block Producers by vote weight become active and are responsible for block production. Dozens of standby BPs remain in line and may be rotated into the top 21 based on performance or changes in vote weight.
2. Block Production
The Vaulta blockchain produces blocks in rounds of 126 blocks.
Each round is handled by the 21 active Block Producers, each of whom is assigned to produce 6 consecutive blocks.
Blocks are produced every 0.5 seconds.
If a BP misses its scheduled turn, it is skipped, and the round continues. Repeated missed blocks can lead to removal or demotion.
3. Finality and Irreversibility
Vaulta uses a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) layer atop DPoS to achieve fast finality:
A block is considered irreversible once it has received confirmation from two-thirds plus one (15 out of 21) active Block Producers.
This system provides probabilistic finality within seconds, reducing the risk of chain reorganization (forks).
Key Features of Vaulta DPoS
Speed
0.5-second block times
Transaction finality typically achieved within ~1–2 seconds
Governance-Enabled
On-chain voting for Block Producers
Block Producers can propose and execute system-level upgrades (via multisig)
Security
Fault tolerance is achieved through decentralization of voting and block production
Malicious or inactive producers can be voted out in real time
Security is backed by the stake of voters and BPs’ reputations
Flexibility
Governance and consensus upgrades can be implemented with community consent
Permission systems allow for multi-signature and hierarchical access controls
Differences from Traditional PoS and PoW
Block Producers
Voted in by token holders
Random/weighted validator selection
Miners solve puzzles
Block Time
0.5 seconds
Varies (e.g., 12s, 15s)
10 minutes
Finality
~1-2 seconds
Minutes
~60 minutes (6 confirmations)
Energy Usage
Low (no mining)
Low
High
Governance
On-chain, real-time voting
Often off-chain or slow
Minimal/absent
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