Decentralization vs. Functional Confirmation Times

The need to potentially revert a near-consensus event dictates the finality time in distributed ledgers like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Not only is consensus reversible, but the confirmation time for that consensus is slow. Consequently, many blockchains operate on "probabilistic finality," where you can be reasonably sure your transaction won't be reversed.

This is why centralized chains have been favored for DeFi, meeting customers' expectations regarding transaction speed. However, this solution compromises decentralization, making them susceptible to Denial of Service (DoS) attacks as outlined in Section Proof of Stake Security.

A superior solution has been implemented in the NetDex Blockchain, detailed in "The NetDex Solution" for more on this Robust Blockchain Protocol.