Proof of Work
Mining and difficulty.
The Consensus Problem
In an open network, anyone can propose the next block. How does the network agree on a single valid block without a leader?
Proof of Work (PoW) was the first practical answer, introduced by Bitcoin.
What Is Proof of Work?
Proof of Work requires miners to solve a hard computational puzzle to earn the right to add a block.
The puzzle is hard to solve but easy for everyone else to verify — an asymmetry that secures the chain.
All lessons in this course
- Proof of Work
- Proof of Stake
- Other Mechanisms
- Finality and Forks