# PoA Consensus Mechanism

X1 EcoChain uses a Proof of Authority (PoA) model with a rotating group of pre-selected validators who have met the necessary conditions to have a Validator status. PoA eliminates the need for Proof of Work puzzles, yielding instant finality and high throughput. In practice, blocks confirm in \~7.5 seconds and the network can handle up to \~2000 TPS. The consensus algorithm ensures that malicious actors cannot easily forge blocks (it is resistant to 51% and Sybil attacks). By design, transaction validation is performed only by trusted participants, cutting CPU/GPU waste.

The PoA design also enables very low fees: since nodes are inexpensive to run, gas can be priced near marginal cost (≈$0.01 per transaction).

Overall, the consensus stack delivers a secure, scalable blockchain without heavy computation.
