According to Plasma's framework, cryptographic finality indicates that a transaction is unchangeable and permanently secured by the root chain (such as Ethereum), but only after a protracted dispute period. On the @Plasma sidechain, however, economic finality occurs considerably more quickly. Here, participants treat a transaction as final once it’s extremely costly or irrational to try and reverse it usually because doing so would require a massive, detectable fraud that would be punished via slashing. It's a practical, trust-based assumption backed by strong economic disincentives. For users, this means near-instant settlement on the Plasma chain, with the absolute security of cryptographic finality anchoring everything after the challenge window closes. This two-layer strategy strikes a balance between unwavering safety and speed.
