See Also
Opinion: Decentralized blockchains can only survive having a valuable token, like Bitcoin, attached to them [Feb 2018]
We’ve heard this time and again, especially from folks in the financial sector: “blockchain is here to stay, Bitcoin not so much”. Is this really so? We disagree, and in this article we discuss the origins of Bitcoin and how the problem it solved only makes sense when there’s a reward for participants to join […]
Proof of Authority (PoA) Summary [Cryptocurrency consensus mechanisms]
Proof of Authority is a consensus mechanism where members of a cryptocurrency network are identified and receive delegated powers to solve blocks. If they defraud the system their identity is at stake and they will either be prosecuted or booted from the network. This is a centralized system where a higher authority delegates mining powers […]
ELI5 Proof of Stake (PoS) – How does PoS work?
In the cryptocurrency universe, Proof of Stake (PoS) is one of the most popular alternatives to the Proof of Work (PoW) family of consensus mechanisms. While PoW systems invest large amounts of energy to make sure transactions are legit, PoS does not require mining hardware. Proof of Stake “miners” (stakers) must lock a financial stake […]
Proof of Burn (PoB) Summary [Cryptocurrency consensus mechanisms]
In the Proof of Burn (PoB) consensus mechanism, miners earn the right to mint the next block by burning some value in the blockchain. All proof systems are based on the principle that minting a block must incurr in some cost, otherwise fraudsters could inject invalid transactions into the blockchain. Bitcoin achieves this by making […]