Verifiable Random Function (VRF)
cryptography · consensus
A cryptographic function that produces random-looking output with a proof anyone can verify using a public key.
A verifiable random function (VRF) lets a holder of a private key generate a pseudorandom output and a proof. Anyone with the public key can verify that the output was computed correctly and was not chosen after the fact.
VRFs are used for leader election, committee selection, lotteries, and randomness beacons where public verifiability matters. They do not by themselves guarantee unbiased randomness if inputs or participants can be manipulated.
Related terms
Validator
→A consensus participant that proposes, verifies, or attests to blocks, often after bonding stake in a proof-of-stake network.
consensus · staking
Proof of Stake (PoS)
→A family of consensus mechanisms in which validators commit stake to propose, attest to, and finalize blocks.
consensus · blockchain