Snowman Consensus
Snowman Consensus is a consensus protocol designed for high-throughput, low-latency blockchain networks, particularly used in the Avalanche platform. It operates on a directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure to enable fast, scalable, and secure transaction finality through repeated sub-sampling and metastable decision-making. This protocol is optimized for permissionless environments, allowing nodes to reach consensus efficiently without requiring all participants to communicate directly.
Developers should learn Snowman Consensus when building or working on decentralized applications (dApps) that require high transaction throughput and low confirmation times, such as in DeFi, gaming, or supply chain tracking on the Avalanche blockchain. It is particularly useful for projects needing scalable consensus in permissionless networks, as it reduces latency and energy consumption compared to traditional proof-of-work or proof-of-stake mechanisms, making it ideal for real-time applications.