Proof-of-Work (PoW)

A consensus mechanism used by blockchain networks where miners compete to solve a cryptographic puzzle by finding a specific value (nonce) that, when combined with the block’s data through a hash function, produces a hash value meeting network-defined criteria. Successful miners are rewarded with newly minted tokens. Attempting to manipulate the blockchain would require controlling over 51% of the network’s computational power, making attacks economically impractical from the cost of electricity and computationally infeasible from the power necessary to do so.