Proof of stake is a consensus algorithm for blockchains that has the potential to solve many problems in this space, including energy consumption and mining centralization. In this blog post we will explore what is a proof of stake Blockchain and how proof of stake works and what it means for you as an investor
What Is A Proof Of Stake Blockchain
Proof of stake Is a systems achieve through distributed consensus based upon the proportionality of users’ “stakes” i.e. relative ownership or control over Coins units held by those users, thus eliminating competition from miner rewards and reducing incentive for miners to initiate malicious attacks on a Blockchain.
Proof of stake takes into account a validator’s “stake” in a particular cryptocurrency, essentially meaning that instead of nodes earning coins for the work they perform, they earn rewards based on their existing holdings or age. Proof of stake can be much more efficient and decentralized than proof-of-work systems.
What Is A Proof Of Stake Blockchain Mechanics?
In a proof-of-stake system, nodes do not need expensive mining equipment because they aren’t required to solve difficult mathematical problem.
Instead, they can “stake” any cryptocurrency they own. Proof of stake works in a similar way to proof-of-burn. The node sends its cryptocurrency to an address from which no further transactions can be made, and it is effectively destroyed.
Proof of stake differs slightly, for each block that is created, the staked cryptocurrency must show that it “owns” the block by having more coins or tokens in that address than anyone else does.
If you have 10% of all Bitcoin owned by people who announce how much Bitcoin they hold over time (the same % as everyone else on average), then you should get approximately 10% of all blocks if you run your node continuously (or an even higher % if you are a large investor in Bitcoin).
Proof of stake systems can be tremendously efficient, it has been estimated that one Proof-of-stake node can be run using fifty times less electricity over its lifetime than a Proof-of-work node.
Proof of stake also solves the problem of trust with Proof of work by making it much more expensive to attack, an attacker would have to buy up the entire market in order to gain control, which is astronomically expensive and perhaps impossible.
Why Proof of Stake
1. In Proof of Stake, participants refer to all stakeholders (i.e Coins holders) are often referred as validators.
2. Proof of stake is a protocol, that allows consumers to allocate their stake in the system for receiving block generation rewards.
3. Proof of Stake works by selecting the creator of each new block, as well as determining how easy it is to create new blocks .
4. Proof-of-Stake is an algorithm that substitutes “mining” (i.e Proof of Work) with a certain quantity of coins (i.e Proof of Stake).
5. Proof of stake and proof of work are two major types of consensus algorithms used in modern blockchain protocols.
6. Proof-of stake could be seen as a compromise between the POW scheme and simple verification schemes based on digital signatures only (proofs systems).
Type of Proof of Stake
1. Regular Proof of Stake
2. Delegated Proof of Stake
3. Leased Proof of Stake
4. Masternode Proof of Stake
Pros of Proof Of Stake
1. Staking makes it easy for you to run a node. It doesn’t require huge investments in hardware or energy, and if you don’t have enough ETH to stake, then joining staking pools is the perfect option.
2. Staking can be more decentralized than mining. It allows for increased participation, and When there’s an increase in nodes, it doesn’t mean increased % returns, like with mining.
3. With sharding, it is possible for more than one block to be created at the same time and transactions are processed faster.
Cons of Proof of Stake
The nothing-at-stake problem is a big deal for any PoS protocol.
This means that validators might validate conflicting copies of the blockchain because they have minimal cost and stand even less chance in losing out on rewards by doing so.
If this persists, it can allow double spending which would be devastating. But there are solutions to which could be mitigated by either penalizing validators who create conflicts or structuring the reward system so that it no longer has an economic incentive for creating such instances.
10 Blockchains using Proof of Stake
1. Algorand
2. PeerCoin
3. NXT
4. BNB
5. Texos
6. Dash
7. NEO
8. Cardano
9. Tron
10. EOS
Conclusion: What Is A Proof Of Stake Blockchain
Proof of Stake is a type of algorithm that’s used to secure and validate transactions in the blockchain. In general, it requires less computing power than proof-of-work algorithms.
This makes sense because instead of mining for coins by solving math problems, users can “mine” them by staking their coins essentially acting as nodes in the network and getting rewarded with new coins. For this reason, PoS networks are often cheaper to operate but more centralized since they require only one node (or user) per block rather than hundreds.
We Hope you now understand What Is A Proof Of Stake Blockchain and How it works. Thanks For Reading
