Proof of Work (PoW)

Proof of Work (PoW) is the original and most widely tested consensus mechanism in blockchain technology, requiring network participants, known as miners, to expend significant computational effort to solve a complex cryptographic puzzle to validate transactions and create new blocks, thereby securing the decentralized ledger against malicious attacks. This energy-intensive process ensures that the cost of attacking the network, such as attempting a 51% attack, is economically prohibitive, making PoW the foundational security model for major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.