# Finality

> The point at which a transaction is considered settled and unlikely to be reversed.

Canonical URL: https://fudfomo.co/glossary/finality
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

Finality describes how confident you can be that a transaction will not be undone. Some networks have probabilistic finality: with each new block, the chance of reversal shrinks but never reaches zero.

Others have economic or cryptographic finality, where reversing a confirmed transaction would require destroying enormous value or breaking the maths. Different chains and rollups have very different finality times, which matters for bridges and exchanges.

## Related terms

- [Confirmation](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/confirmation): A measure of how many blocks have been added on top of a transaction's block. More confirmations mean stronger settlement.
- [Consensus](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/consensus): The way a blockchain's computers agree on which transactions are valid and which version of the ledger is correct.
- [Validator](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/validator): A participant in a proof-of-stake network who proposes and confirms new blocks. Earns rewards and can be slashed.
- [Immutable](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/immutable): Cannot be changed once recorded. The standard property of confirmed blockchain history.

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