Steps are the discrete time units of the cyber protocol, equivalent to blocks in traditional blockchains. Each step represents one tick of the consensus clock during which the network processes transactions and advances state.
During a single step, validators collect pending signals from neurons, order them deterministically, and apply the state transition function to produce the next version of the cybergraph. The result is committed to consensus and becomes the canonical state.
Step duration is governed by the consensus parameters of the bostrom chain. Faster steps increase throughput and reduce latency for signal inclusion, while slower steps allow more time for validator coordination across geographic distances.
Each step carries a monotonically increasing height number. This height serves as the universal clock reference for all protocol operations including staking reward distribution, governance voting periods, and cyberank recalculation.
The sequence of steps from genesis to the current height constitutes the complete, auditable history of the cyber network. Any observer can replay this sequence to independently verify the current state of the cybergraph.
Step finality in bostrom is achieved through Tendermint BFT consensus, meaning once a step is committed, it cannot be reverted under normal network conditions.
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