Abstract: A lot of studies have been done over the last few years to cope with this issue. A comparative and analytical review of the state-of-the-art blockchain consensus algorithms is presented in this paper to illuminate the strengths and constraints of each algorithm. Based on their inherent specifications, each algorithm has a different applicability domain that yields several performance criteria to be proposed for evaluating these algorithms. In order to provide an overview and a basis for comparison for further work in the field, a set of incommensurable and conflicting performance assessment criteria is identified and weighted by the pair comparison method. These criteria are classified into four categories including algorithms’ throughput, the profitability of mining, degree of decentralization and consensus algorithms vulnerabilities and security issues. Keywords: Blockchain, consensus algorithms, performance evaluation criteria, security vulnerability, trust and permission models