Editing Block producer DAO (section)

=== Block producer selection ===
At Step 2 in the above process, the block producer is pseudo-randomly selected from the active Availability Smart Contracts. If this is not done carefully, a Byzantine actor who is the latest active block producer can anticipate the pseudo-randomness and manipulate the algorithm so that he is selected again, in perpetuity, which would destroy the decentralization of the blockchain. 

To guarantee the pseudo-random selection mechanism is resistant to such capture, there are several algorithms available. Here we describe a basic Commit-Reveal scheme, such as the [https://www.randao.org Randao] algorithm. Basically, selection of the block producer is done in two stages. First, every block producer sends an encrypted salt message for the pseudorandom algorithm to the current block producer to include in the current block. Then after the block is published, the block producers send in their keys to unencrypt their salt messages in the next block. The union of the salts is added to the pseudorandom number generator to determine the next block producer.

This creates complications for reasoning about what to do when the network is fragmented and some members fail to participate, or when a block producer censors commits or reveals. However, such issues can be policed and attacks disincentivized with [[Block producer DAO#Judicial|judicial governance]].