Slashing

Many Proof-of-Stake blockchain protocols utilize reward and penalty mechanisms to incentivize good behavior and penalize negative behavior. Most implementations of Proof of Stake (PoS) require actors known as validators to attest that blocks and transactions are verified accurately. Dishonest or negative behavior is penalized with what is called “slashing”. Slashing penalties vary across different blockchains, but the general idea is that a portion of the validator’s stake funds gets taken for negative Proof of Stake (PoS) behavior. The slashing penalties can also include being removed from the network completely.