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‎site/docs/faq.md‎

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# Ouroboros Leios FAQ
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## What are the benefits of Leios?
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Ouroboros Leios is a blockchain protocol that improves transaction throughput and
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latency by using a pipelined endorsing process. Simply put, Leios is a way to
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process transactions faster.
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## What are downstream effects of deploying Leios?
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Ongoing internal discussions - we will publish an answer/link here to our
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findings.
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## Could the mempool be sized to the throughput of the system?
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That's already the case. Default mempool size is a small multiple of current
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block size.
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## Can the system be sharded according to resources (small nodes vs. big nodes)?
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Leios' current design does not involve sharding in a sense of different resource
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requirements for different nodes. In short, the Leios design does not involve
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sharding. These are ideas in research and require more work. As of now, each
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node has to validate all blocks, hence in a traditional sense, adding more nodes
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does not increase throughput. Each node must cope with the throughput of the
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whole system.
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## Can the system self-regulate instead of manually fine tuning?
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The current system's load is imposed on each node through the protocol
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parameters. Thus, it remains a democratic vote, not a choice made locally by
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nodes or automatically. Given that the load is imposed on each node through the
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choice of the protocol parameters, it remains a democratic vote to drive
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adaptation. In a sharded approach this could be different. But in the current
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system there is no local or automatic choice to be made by individual nodes.

‎site/docs/glossary.md‎

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# Glossary
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- **Input Block (IB)**: A block that contains transactions and is produced by
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nodes that win the IB sortition lottery.
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- **Endorser Block (EB)**: A block that references IBs and is produced by nodes
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that win the EB sortition lottery.
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- **Ranking Block (RB)**: A block that ranks other blocks and is part of the
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consensus mechanism.
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- **BLS**: Boneh-Lynn-Shacham, a cryptographic signature scheme that allows for
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efficient aggregation of signatures.
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- **ALBA**: A cryptographic protocol or component used within the Leios
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framework.
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- **Musen**: Another cryptographic protocol or component used within the Leios
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framework.
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- **Sortition**: A probabilistic method for selecting nodes to perform certain
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roles, based on their stake.
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- **VRF**: Verifiable Random Function, a cryptographic function that produces a
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random output that can be verified.
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- **Stake**: The amount of cryptocurrency held by a node, which influences its
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probability of being selected in sortition.
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- **Lovelace**: The smallest unit of the Cardano cryptocurrency, named after Ada
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Lovelace.
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- **Praos**: A version of the Ouroboros consensus protocol that Leios builds
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upon.
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- **Mithril**: A protocol or component related to voting or cryptographic proofs
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in the Leios framework.
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- **Pipeline**: A sequence of stages in the Leios protocol where different types
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of blocks are produced and processed.
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- **Certificate**: A cryptographic proof that attests to the validity of certain
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blocks or transactions.
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- **Quorum**: The minimum number of votes required to certify a block or
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decision.
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- **Epoch**: A fixed period in the blockchain during which certain processes or
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calculations are performed.
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- **Decentralization Parameter**: A measure of how distributed the control of
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the network is among its participants.
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- **Throughput**: The rate at which transactions are processed by the network.
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- **Latency**: The delay between the submission of a transaction and its
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confirmation on the blockchain.
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- **Bandwidth**: The amount of data that can be transmitted over the network in
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a given time period.
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- **Compression**: The process of reducing the size of data to save storage
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space or transmission time.
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- **Sharding**: A method of partitioning data to improve scalability and
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performance.
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- **Equivocation**: The act of producing conflicting blocks or messages in a
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blockchain network.
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- **Freshest First**: A policy for prioritizing newer blocks or transactions
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over older ones.

‎site/docs/how-it-works.md‎

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# How it works
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Leios' unique design manages a structured flow of transactions. Here's a
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breakdown of how it works:
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1. **Creating input blocks (IBs)**:<br />
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Validators bundle transactions into IBs and broadcast them across the network
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2. **Proofs of data availability**:<br />
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Validators verify that the IBs contain valid and accessible data
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3. **Generating endorser blocks (EBs)**:<br />
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EBs aggregate several verified IBs and propose them for inclusion in the
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blockchain
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4. **Pipelined processing**:<br />
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The protocol follows a seven-stage endorsing pipeline (described below)
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5. **Voting and certification**:<br />
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Validators ensure that IBs contain valid and accessible data by checking
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their correctness
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This process is primarily handled by the endorser block producer
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Includes verifying that all available IBs adhere to network rules and
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ensuring transactions are script compliant if required
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6. **Final inclusion in the blockchain**:<br />
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A certificate (generated from the voting process and referencing the EB) is
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stored in the blockchain
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This certificate is included in the Praos block (ranking block)
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Ensures blockchain efficiency while maintaining a verifiable record of
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endorsed transactions
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## Leios architecture
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The Leios protocol utilizes a pipelined architecture to achieve high throughput.
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A pipeline instance comprises seven stages:
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1. **Propose**:
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- Validators generate and propose IBs containing transaction data
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- IBs proposed during this stage are the focus of the current pipeline
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instance
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2. **Deliver1**:
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- Allocates time for proposed IBs to be disseminated throughout the network
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- Duration is crucial for ensuring all honest nodes receive IBs before the
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next stage
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3. **Link**:
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- Validators create EBs that reference the IBs generated in the 'Propose'
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stage
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- EBs serve as containers for grouping and ordering IBs
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4. **Deliver2**:
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- Allows time for dissemination of any adversarial IBs referenced by EBs in
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the 'Link' stage
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- Ensures honest nodes have received all relevant IBs before casting votes
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5. **Vote1**:
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- Validators cast votes for EBs from the 'Link' stage
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- Specifically for EBs whose referenced IBs have been successfully delivered
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- An EB becomes Vote1-certified if it receives enough votes
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6. **Endorse**:
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- Vote1-certified EBs are referenced by new EBs created during this stage
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- Links EBs across different pipeline instances
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- Strengthens overall confirmation of IBs
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7. **Vote2**:
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- Validators cast final votes for EBs from the 'Endorse' stage
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- An EB becomes Vote2-certified if it meets specific criteria
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- Must reference a majority of Vote1-certified EBs

‎site/docs/intro.md‎

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# What is Leios?
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# What is Ouroboros Leios?
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:::warning
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This website and the Ouroboros Leios project are in the early stages of research
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and development. Details may be added, removed, or changed over the coming weeks
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and months.
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:::
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The [Ouroboros consensus protocol](https://docs.cardano.org/about-cardano/learn/ouroboros-overview) lies at the heart of Cardano, driving secure
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and efficient transaction settlement while supporting the network's scalability
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and robustness.
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This web site and the Leios R&D project are in their very early stage. More
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details will be added in the forthcoming weeks and months.
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[Ouroboros Leios](https://iohk.io/en/research/library/papers/high-throughput-blockchain-consensus-under-realistic-network-assumptions/) is the protocol version designed to increase the network's
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throughput by optimizing the use of available resources and enabling faster
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transaction processing and confirmation.
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:::info
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Currently, Cardano runs the Ouroboros Praos protocol, which introduced
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substantial security and scalability improvements to Ouroboros Classic. Leios
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remains in its research and development phase and will extend Praos'
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capabilities upon its implementation.
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:::
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_Ouroboros Leios_ is a novel protocol extending
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[Ouroboros Praos](https://docs.cardano.org/about-cardano/learn/ouroboros-overview/)
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that aims at dramatically increase the _throughput_ of Cardano network. The core
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protocol and its theoretical properties are defined in
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[this research paper](https://iohk.io/en/research/library/papers/high-throughput-blockchain-consensus-under-realistic-network-assumptions/).
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## In a nutshell
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_Leios_ is based on the key idea of _input endorsers_. Whereas in a classical
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blockchain, the blocks' body directly contains transactions, in Leios the
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blocks' body can also contain references to _Endorser blocks_ which themselves
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contain references to so-called _Input blocks_ containing the actual
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transactions. Those references are _certified_ through a voting mechanism that
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guarantees a majority of validators agree on the content of _Endorser blocks_.
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![Input Endorsers](input-endorsers.png)
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By decoupling the logic of validating blocks' payload and extending the
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blockchain, and limiting the work needed to verify the chain, much higher
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throughput can be achieved and new use cases can be unlocked.
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## Tell me more
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More documentation about Leios can be found in the following sources:
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- The [Leios CIP](https://github.com/cardano-foundation/CIPs/pull/379) by Duncan
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Coutts, providing rationale and a high-level design of the protocol
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- The original
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[Research paper](https://iohk.io/en/research/library/papers/high-throughput-blockchain-consensus-under-realistic-network-assumptions/)
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is of course the main reference _north star_
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- [This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czmg9WmSCcI) from Pr. Aggelos
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Kiayias, IOG's Chief Scientist, explains Leios in the context of _Scaling
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Cardano_
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- One of the paper's co-author, Giorgos Panagiotakos, has shot a
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[video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEcYVygdhzU) explaining Leios
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- [These slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1W_KHdvdLNDEStE99D7Af2SRiTqZNnVLQiEPqRHJySqI/edit?usp=sharing)
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from Sandro Coretti-Drayton, another researcher that worked on Leios might
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also help getting a good intuition about Leios
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Leios is specifically designed to solve scalability bottlenecks in existing
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systems by acting as a high-throughput overlay on top of base protocols. It
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tackles malicious actions like protocol bursts (sudden floods of valid messages
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to congest the network) and equivocations (double-signing attacks), enabling
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near-optimal transaction processing while preserving security under real-world
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network constraints.
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To illustrate the Leios concept, imagine a blockchain as a single-lane road
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prone to bottlenecks and delays – similar to how an accident on a one-lane road
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can block traffic, causing long tailbacks (pending transactions). Leios
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addresses this limitation by introducing multiple lanes, allowing multiple cars
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(transactions) to travel simultaneously. This approach significantly improves
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both speed and efficiency.
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The key idea is to separate transaction ordering (which occurs on the base
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chain) from transaction diffusion, availability, and validation. Ultimately,
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these multiple lanes must merge into a single, orderly flow of vehicles – just
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as the blocks of the underlying main chain consolidate transactions into a
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final, agreed-upon sequence.

‎site/docs/protocol-overview.md‎

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# Protocol overview
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Leios addresses three interconnected concerns often found in blockchains:
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- Transaction diffusion
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- Transaction validation and availability
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- Transaction ordering
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By decoupling transaction processing from consensus, Leios allows for more
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efficient and continuous resource usage (eg, CPU and bandwidth). Instead of
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experiencing short bursts of network load when blocks are fully created,
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validated, and diffused, Leios introduces two core components to facilitate this
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decoupling:
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## Input blocks (IBs)
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- Validators (stakeholders or miners) bundle transactions into lightweight IBs
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at high speed
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- IBs are generated concurrently, not sequentially, maximizing available
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bandwidth
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## Endorser blocks (EBs)
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- EBs aggregate batches of IBs and undergo a two-phase voting process to certify
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their validity and availability
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- This is necessary because blocks are divided into two parts: headers and
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bodies
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- An input block will not be referenced by an endorser block if its body is not
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available
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## Key Properties
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The following properties set Leios apart from traditional blockchain protocols:
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- **High throughput**: Leios achieves near-optimal transaction processing
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capacity, utilizing almost all available bandwidth
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- **Low latency**: Transactions are confirmed quickly, with minimal delays
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- **Robust security**: Leios effectively mitigates threats like protocol bursts,
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message replays, and equivocations
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- **Fairness**: Honest participants contribute to block production
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proportionally to their resources (stake or computing power)
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- **Scalability**: The system scales smoothly with network capacity and
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available CPU resources needed to run verifiable random function (VRF)
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lotteries, process blocks and votes, and generate certificates. It maintains
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high performance even as participation fluctuates

‎site/docs/resources.md‎

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# Resources
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This page collects various resources about Ouroboros Leios, from technical
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papers to presentations and videos.
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## Technical Documentation
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- [Leios CIP](https://github.com/cardano-foundation/CIPs/pull/379) - The Cardano
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Improvement Proposal by Duncan Coutts, providing rationale and a high-level
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design of the protocol.
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- [Research Paper](https://iohk.io/en/research/library/papers/high-throughput-blockchain-consensus-under-realistic-network-assumptions/) -
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The original research paper defining the core protocol and its theoretical
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properties.
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## Videos
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- [Scaling Cardano with Leios](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czmg9WmSCcI) -
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Professor Aggelos Kiayias, IOG's Chief Scientist, explains Leios in the
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context of scaling Cardano.
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- [Understanding Leios](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEcYVygdhzU) - Giorgos
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Panagiotakos, one of the paper's co-authors, provides a detailed explanation
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of the protocol.
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- **Monthly Leios Meetings**
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- [October, 2024](https://drive.google.com/file/d/12VE0__S0knHqXXpIVdXGWvDipK0g89p_/view?usp=sharing)
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- [November, 2024](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W4iu4MwOXILXes1Zi43MeM505KAOHXso/view?usp=sharing)
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- [December, 2024](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F07oKxBgdOEasGcstxEavkPCgr58sbIO/view?usp=sharing)
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- [January, 2025](https://www.youtube.com/live/6ovcWDCdqFU?si=-dgnvO7353tUyiDZ&t=120)
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## Presentations
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- [Leios Overview Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1W_KHdvdLNDEStE99D7Af2SRiTqZNnVLQiEPqRHJySqI/edit?usp=sharing) -
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Presentation by Sandro Coretti-Drayton offering insights into Leios.
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- **Monthly Leios Presentations**
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- [October, 2024 Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KgjJyP6yZyZKCGum3deoIyooYUOretA9W6dTtXv1fso/edit?usp=sharing)
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- [November, 2024 Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11LHQeUuv-TQfiy9GwXkrffSimFjSq8tdTB8qIB-Pk3U/edit?usp=sharing)
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- [December, 2024 Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LwpcXnXLgrYTSDalJY1SfpeyU_4lIkYhyMy5Kv0Huzw/edit?usp=sharing)
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- [January, 2025 Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qKXe3CvAvJGVWAssjrKpRrRABMT6I39E1FxUWQ_PZzo/edit?usp=sharing)
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## Tools and Simulations
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- [Throughput Simulation](https://www.insightmaker.com/insight/5B3Sq5gsrcGzTD11GyZJ0u/Cardano-Throughput-v0-2) -
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Interactive simulation demonstrating Leios' throughput capabilities.
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## Development Resources
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- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/input-output-hk/ouroboros-leios) - The
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official Leios implementation repository.
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- [Cost Estimator](https://leios.cardano-scaling.org/cost-estimator/) - Tool for
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estimating resource costs in Leios.

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