Timeouts and Fault Tolerance
BABE operates with 6-second slot intervals, while GRANDPA finality rounds can adapt based on network conditions. Substrate uses libp2p-based gossip communication with configurable peer connections, disseminating information across the network in approximately 100-200 milliseconds depending on network topology.
Finality Latency
The protocol tolerates up to f < n/3 faulty validators, where n is the total number of validators. Network latency is modeled as:
Finality_Latency = Voting_Rounds × (Network_Delay + Processing_Time)
With typical network delays of 100-200ms and processing time of 2ms, finality is achieved in 1-2 seconds under normal conditions. BABE+GRANDPA ensures consistency during network splits: BABE continues producing blocks even during partitions, while GRANDPA ensures finality only when 2/3 of validators can communicate. If a partition occurs, nodes recover by syncing to the latest finalized block agreed upon by 2/3 of validators through Substrate's sync protocol, leveraging the immutable Patricia Trie state root for efficient state verification.
The Proof Behind Champions
Those who compete at the edge of human precision now back the technology that defines digital truth.
