Finality
Finality (working definition) is the point after which a recorded transfer can no longer be changed. On proof-of-stake Ethereum, ethereum.org says a transaction has finality when it is part of a block that cannot change without a large amount of ETH being burned; this is managed with checkpoint blocks, and a transaction counts as finalized once a supermajority link joins two checkpoints. In payment law the related idea is settlement finality, which the FSB describes as rules governing the irrevocability of transfer orders.
What the sources say
| Source | Quote | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ethereum.org, proof-of-stake: finality | "A transaction has "finality" in distributed networks when it is part of a block that can't change without a large amount of ETH getting burned. On proof-of-stake Ethereum, this is managed using "checkpoint" blocks." | ethereum.org |
| ethereum.org, proof-of-stake: finalized via supermajority link | "The transaction can be considered "finalized" if it has become part of a chain with a "supermajority link" between two checkpoints." | ethereum.org |
| FSB 2023 recommendations: settlement finality | "This also includes market integrity, consumer and investor protection arrangements, appropriate safeguards, such as pre- and post-trade transparency obligations, rules on conflicts of interest (including for different service providers such as, the reserve asset custodian, stablecoin trading, lending and borrowing platforms), disclosure requirements, robust systems and controls for platforms where the GSC is traded, rules that allocate responsibility in the event of unauthorised transactions and fraud, and rules governing the irrevocability of a transfer orders (“settlement finality”)." | fsb.org |
Note on sources
Finality timing differs by network. No protocol source for per-network timings was used, so this page gives none.
Related terms
See also
- Explainer: How long until a stablecoin transfer is final?
- Review: revain.org/projects/stargate/
Checked against the sources on 2026-11-01.