CAP Theorem and blockchain
In theoretical computer science, the CAP theorem states that it is impossible for a distributed data store (such as a blockchain network) to simultaneously provide more than two out of the three guarantees: Consistency, Availability & Partition tolerance. CAP Theorem – the parts C: Consistency – At any given time, all nodes in the network have exactly the same (most recent) value. A: Availability – Every request to the network receives a response, though without any guarantee that returned data is the most recent. P: Partition tolerance – The network continues to operate, even if an arbitrary number of nodes are failing. Due to the nature of distributed data stores (such as blockchain), Partition tolerance is a given fact; there will always be failing/unreachable nodes in the network (not least because of the unstable nature of the internet). CAP Theorem states that one has to choose between C (Consistency) or A (Availability) when in the presence of P (Partition): Av