Change from DPoS to PoS terminology
With the Lisk Platform launch there will be a terminology change from Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) to Proof of Stake (PoS). In this blog post we briefly outline the reasoning for this change.
In 2014, DPoS was born when it was implemented into the BitShares project. It was described as an evolution of PoS, with the main difference being that stakeholders could stake their coins by voting on which validator(s) they wished to secure the network. Since then, various versions of DPoS have been implemented into other projects, such as TRON, EOS, Nano, and of course Lisk.
Over time, consensus algorithms within all blockchain projects have continued to evolve. Many other projects that utilize PoS, such as Cosmos and Avalanche, have made certain features standard, such as staking weight on a limited number of validators. These standards have made DPoS much less unique from PoS.
Lisk itself has seen many changes to its consensus. For instance, LIP 0023 introduced a new vote weight definition, amongst other things. Many of these changes have blurred the lines between PoS and DPoS algorithms, which already share many characteristics.
These changes are ongoing, as Lisk will again update its consensus with the following LIPs:
With the addition of these LIPs, along with the continuing evolution and standardization of blockchain technology and terminology, we have concluded that there is no longer a significant difference between Lisk’s DPoS algorithm and what the industry would today describe as PoS.
You can read more about the motivation behind the terminology change on the Lisk Research forum.
This will also affect other terms through the Lisk ecosystems well. Below is a table that lists all of the changes taking place:
| Current | Upcoming Change |
|---|---|
| delegated proof of stake (DPoS) | proof of stake (PoS) |
| delegate | validator |
| vote | stake |
| voter | staker |
| self-vote | self-stake |
| unvote | unstake |
| active delegate | active validator |
| standby delegate | standby validator |
| delegate weight | validator weight |
| forge | mint |
These changes will be reflected across all Lisk projects, including, but not limited to:
Please be sure to download and/or update all of your Lisk software as the releases become available.
As always, if you have any comments or questions, we encourage you to reach out in one of the following Lisk community platforms: