Ethereum's Finality Delays: Impact and Perspectives

According to ChainCatcher, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared on the X platform that occasional delays in achieving finality are not problematic. Finality is intended to ensure that blocks are not rolled back. If a significant client error causes finality to be delayed by a few hours, it is acceptable as long as erroneous blocks are not finalized. During such delays, the blockchain continues to operate. Computer science Ph.D. Fabrizio Romano Genovese agrees with Buterin, noting that when finality is lost, Ethereum resembles Bitcoin more closely. He explained that Ethereum's finality mechanism involves a block being 'justified' when it receives over 66% of validator votes. After two epochs, or 64 blocks, the block is 'finalized.' A spokesperson from Polygon highlighted that the lack of finality affects infrastructure reliant on it, such as certain cross-chain or Layer 2 bridges. Polygon will continue to operate normally, but transfers from Ethereum to side chains may be delayed until finality is restored. Similarly, AggLayer will delay transactions from Ethereum to Layer 2 until finality is achieved again.