Let’s simplify Proof of Stake by understanding what a Consensus mechanism is and how it works. Imagine you’re in a big group at school, and you all need to agree on what game to play during recess. The consensus mechanism is like the process that helps everyone in the group come to a decision together. Now, in the world of blockchain, there are computers called nodes that work together to agree on which transactions are valid and should be added to the blockchain. It’s kind of like everyone in the group at school deciding on the rules for the game. So, Proof of Stake is a specific way for these computers to reach an agreement and create new blocks in the blockchain. It’s all about making sure that everyone is playing by the same rules and keeping the blockchain safe and secure.
Proof of Stake
In other words, Proof of Stake is a consensus mechanism in which users need to stake/lock native tokens of the network to participate in the process of validating transactions and create new blocks in the blockchain. Basically, this is used to provide security to the blockchain.
It helps run the network and users earn rewards (transaction fees in proportion to the amount of tokens staked by them. Ethereum, the second largest blockchain network by MCap, uses this mechanism.
How PoS is different from PoW:
In PoW, the process of adding blocks to the blockchain involves miners competing to solve complex puzzles for which they require proper machinery and incur hefty energy charges to solve the computations. The first miner to solve the mathematical problem gets a reward. A popular example of PoW is Bitcoin in which miners are rewarded with new minted BTC and a portion of gas fees.
On the other hand, PoS works differently where validators, who are like the block creators in PoS, are chosen randomly based on their amount of stake. It is comparatively more energy efficient and less costly as compared to PoW mechanism. Ethereum has transitioned to a fully Proof of Stake Mechanism post the Merge. Other platforms like Tezos, Cardano, Solana, and Algorand also use proof of stake.
Benefits of PoS:
Let us understand the benefits of PoS mechanism in detail:
- Energy-efficient: POW miners require high computational power to solve the complex puzzles, which has raised concerns about the environmental impact of the POW mechanism consuming large amounts of electricity. This is eliminated by POS.
- Accessible: PoW is not for average users, as you must have the technical ability and hardware specialization wherein PoS you require an amount of crypto to become a validator, which makes the mechanism more accessible and helps in better decentralization of the network.
- Speed: It provides faster processing of transactions.Since there is no need for resource-intensive mining processes as in Proof of Work (PoW), transactions can be processed faster in PoS networks.
Drawbacks of PoS:
- Wealth concentration: PoS may lead to centralization as those with more cryptocurrency hold greater influence.
- Nothing-at-Stake problem: Validators can validate multiple blocks simultaneously without penalty, undermining security.
- Initial distribution: Unfair or centralized token distribution can lead to governance issues and reduce decentralization.
