Proof of Work (PoW)
Protocol
Consensus secured by computational work to produce blocks.
Proof of Work requires miners to expend energy solving puzzles to propose blocks. The cost of work makes attacks harder and aligns incentives with security.
Frequently asked questions
How does PoW secure the network?
It makes rewriting history expensive because attackers need massive energy and hardware to compete with honest miners.What are PoW downsides?
High energy use and hardware arms races. Some chains are moving to PoS to reduce costs.Can small miners participate?
Yes via pools that share rewards, but profitability depends on costs and market conditions.