Consensus Mechanisms How Blockchains Agree
From Proof of Work to Proof of History, explore how blockchains achieve trust without central authority.
1) Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake
Two dominant mechanisms: energy (PoW) vs staked tokens (PoS). Both make dishonesty costly, but differ in efficiency and decentralization risks.
2) Delegated Proof of Stake
DPoS lets token holders elect delegates who validate blocks. Faster and democratic, but risks centralization if few actors dominate.
3) Proof of Authority
Validators are pre-approved authorities. Extremely efficient but centralized, suitable for enterprise or private chains.
4) Proof of History (Solana)
Solana’s innovation: cryptographic clocks (verifiable delay functions) timestamp transactions, enabling high throughput and fast consensus.
5) Hybrid Models
Many blockchains combine mechanisms (e.g., Decred’s PoW+PoS) to balance security, scalability, and governance.
Further Learning
Consensus Mechanisms Quick Check
Answer 5 random questions each round. No repeats this session.