Consensus Mechanism Explorer
Compare Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and Delegated Proof of Stake. Understand how networks agree on the state of the ledger.
Interactive Simulator
● LiveReal-World Applications
Ethereum switched from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake in 2022, reducing its energy consumption by over 99%. Bitcoin remains the largest Proof of Work network.
Key Concepts
PoW
PoS
DPoS
Finality
Byzantine fault tolerance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is consensus in blockchain?
Consensus is the process by which a decentralized network agrees on the current state of the ledger. It ensures all nodes have the same copy of the blockchain without a central authority.
What is the difference between PoW and PoS?
Proof of Work requires miners to solve computational puzzles, while Proof of Stake requires validators to lock up cryptocurrency as collateral. PoS is more energy-efficient but has different security assumptions.
What is Byzantine fault tolerance?
Byzantine fault tolerance is the ability of a distributed system to reach consensus even when some nodes are faulty or malicious. Blockchain consensus algorithms are designed to be BFT.
What is finality?
Finality is the point at which a transaction cannot be reversed or altered. In PoW, finality is probabilistic (more confirmations = more final). In PoS, finality can be deterministic.