Epoch & Rounds

Epochs and rounds are integral processes of the consensus mechanism in the Nerif Network, serving to ensure a balanced distribution of responsibilities among validators. An epoch represents a specific period of time during which a designated set of leader nodes take charge of consensus operations.

All validators actively participate in the consensus process, but only the selected leaders are involved in leadership-related operations. With the start of each new epoch, a fresh list of leader nodes is generated, introducing changes to the composition of leaders.

Within each epoch, consensus is achieved through rounds, which determine the outcome of specific actions. Each round has a maximum time limit, although there are no constraints on completing it sooner. During a round, a leader validator is randomly selected from the current list of validators defined at the beginning of the epoch. Only validators included in the list are eligible to assume the role of a leader for that particular round. If a selected validator is unavailable, an alternate validator is chosen to fulfill the leadership role.