Glossary ======== This glossary is divided in two sections, the first one concerns Tezos, and the second one concerns the `economic protocol`_. The definitions in the latter section may be different for other protocol versions. Tezos ----- .. include:: ../shell/glossary.rst.h Protocol -------- _`Accuser` When a node_ attempts to inject several incompatible blocks (or when it tries to abuse the network in another similar way), another node_ can make an accusation: show evidence of attempted abuse. The node_ making the accusation is the accuser. The accuser is awarded some funds from the baking_ deposit of the accused. Using the tools provided by Nomadic Labs, accusation is handled by a separate binary. _`Account` An account is a unique identifier within the protocol. There are different kinds of accounts (see `Originated account`_ and `Implicit account`_). In the Context_, each account is associated with a balance (an amount of tez available). _`Baker` When a node_ creates a new block_, it is the baker of this block_. Baking_ rights are distributed to different accounts based on their available balance. Only a node_ that handles an account_ with baking_ rights is allowed to bake; blocks created by another node_ are invalid. The baker selects transactions from the mempool_ to be included in the block_ it bakes. Using the tools provided by Nomadic Labs, baking_ is handled by a separate binary. _`Baking`/_`Endorsing rights` A delegate_ is allowed to bake/endorse a block_ if he holds the baking/endorsing right for that block_. At the start of a Cycle_, baking and endorsing rights are computed for all the block_ heights in the cycle_, based on the proportion of Rolls owned by each accounts. For each block_ height, there are several accounts that are allowed to bake. These different accounts are given different Priorities. For each block_ height, there are several accounts that are allowed to endorse. There can be multiple endorsements per block_. _`Burn` To ensure responsible use of the storage space on the public blockchain, there are some costs charged to users for consuming storage. These costs are burnt (i.e., the amount of tez is destroyed). For example, a per-byte storage cost is burnt for increasing the storage space of a smart contract; a fixed amount is burnt for allocating a new contract (which consumes space by storing its address on the blockchain). See also `Fee`_. _`Constants` Protocols are parameterized by several parameters called protocol constants, which may vary from one protocol to another or from one network to another. _`Contract` See account_. _`Cycle` A cycle is a set of consecutive blocks. E.g., cycle 12 started at block_ height 49152 and ended at block_ height 53248. Cycles are used as a unit of “time” in the block_ chain. For example, the different phases in the amendment voting procedures are defined based on cycles. _`Delegate` An `Implicit account`_ to which an account_ has delegated their baking_ and `endorsing rights`_. The baking_ rights and `endorsing rights`_ are calculated based on the total balance of tez that an account_ has been delegated to. _`Delegation` An operation_ in which an account_ balance is lent to a delegate_. This increases the delegate_'s rolls and consequently its Baking_ rights. The delegate_ does not control the funds from the account_. _`Double baking` When a baker_ signs two different blocks at the same height, it is called double baking. Double baking is detrimental to the network and might be indicative of an attempt to double spend. As such, it is punished by the network: an accuser_ can provide proof of the double baking to be awarded part of the baker_'s deposit. _`Endorser` When a block_ is created and propagated on the network, nodes that have `endorsing rights`_ for the matching block_ height can emit an endorsement operation_. The accounts that emit the block_ are the endorsers of the block_. Endorsement operations_ are included in the next block_. Using the tools provided by Nomadic Labs, endorsement is handled by a separate binary. _`Fee` To ensure responsible use of computation resources of other nodes, and also to encourage active participation in the consensus protocol, there are some fees that users pay to bakers for including their operations in blocks. For example, fees are paid to a baker for operations such as a transaction_ or a revelation of a public key. See also `Burn`_. _`Gas` A measure of the number of elementary operations_ performed during the execution of a `smart contract`_. Gas is used to measure how much computing power is used to execute a `smart contract`_. _`Implicit account` An account_ that is linked to a public key. Contrary to a `smart contract`_, an `Implicit account`_ cannot include a script and it cannot reject incoming transactions. If registered, an `Implicit account`_ can act as a delegate_. The address of an `Implicit account`_ always starts with the letters `tz` followed by `1`, `2` or `3` (depending on the signature scheme) and finally the hash of the public key. .. _glossary_michelson_alpha: Michelson The built-in language used by a `smart contract`_. _`Operations` The main operations in the protocol are transactions (to transfer funds or to execute smart contracts), accusations, activations, delegations, endorsements and originations. _`Originated account` See `smart contract`_. _`Origination` An operation_ to create a `smart contract`_. _`Priority` A rank of different baking_ rights. Each rank corresponds to a time span. A baker_ with baking_ rights at a given priority is only allowed to bake during the priority's corresponding time span. Baking_ outside of one's designated priority, results in an invalid block_. _`Roll` An amount of tez (e.g., 8000ꜩ) serving as a unit to determine delegates' baking_ rights in a cycle_. A delegate_ with twice as many rolls as another will be given twice as many rights to bake. _`Smart contract` Account_ which is associated to a :ref:`Michelson ` script. They are created with an explicit origination_ operation and are therefore sometimes called originated accounts. The address of a smart contract always starts with the letters ``KT1``. _`Transaction` An operation_ to transfer tez between two accounts, or to run the code of a `smart contract`_. _`Voting period` Any of the ``proposal``, ``exploration``, ``cooldown``, ``promotion`` or ``adoption`` stages in the voting procedure when ammending the `economic protocol`_. _`Voting listings` The list calculated at the beginning of each `voting period`_ that contains the staking balance (in number of rolls) of each delegate_ that owns more than one roll_ at that moment. For each delegate_, The voting listings reflects the weight of the vote emitted by the delegate_ when ammending the `economic protocol`_.