Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS)
Plain English
Token holders vote to elect a small number of delegates who run the network on their behalf. Like voting for representatives in government. Faster than regular PoS because fewer validators need to coordinate, but potentially less decentralized.
Technical
Variation of PoS where token holders vote for a limited number of delegates (witnesses/validators) who produce blocks on behalf of the network. Solana implements this where SOL holders can delegate their stake to validators. Offers faster transaction processing and lower resource requirements while maintaining stakeholder governance through delegation.