Proof of Work
A consensus method in which participants compete to solve a computational puzzle to add the next block, making rewriting history expensive. Bitcoin uses it.
Also called PoW · mining
A consensus method in which participants compete to solve a computational puzzle to add the next block, making rewriting history expensive. Bitcoin uses it.
Why it matters
Security comes from the cost of the computation, which is why energy use is intrinsic to the design rather than incidental.
Related terms
- Proof of Stake
- Hash Rate
- Halving
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