What is the Proof of Stake?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is the Proof of Stake?
• Features of Proof of Stake
• PoS risks

What is the Proof of Stake?

Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus protocol used in blockchain technology. Its aim is to create consensus among all parties in the network. In PoS, the nodes that work are called validators. The decision as to which node is to validate a block is made randomly, but giving a higher probability to those that meet certain criteria such as the amount of currency reserved and the time of participation in the network.

Unlike Proof of Work (PoW), which requires large amounts of power and specialised equipment to perform its operations, PoS is much simpler and energy friendly. In PoW, each of the nodes performs hard computational work to solve cryptographic challenges;

Features of Proof of Stake

Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus protocol used in blockchain technology that has several notable features, some of which include:

• Efficient use of energy: Unlike Proof of Work (PoW), PoS uses significantly less energy, as validator nodes do not have to compete to solve complex cryptographic challenges.
• Random validation: In PoS, the node that validates a block is chosen randomly, but with a higher probability for those with a higher amount of reserved currency and time of participation in the network.
• Coin ownership: To participate in PoS, a node must own a number of coins in the network. The more coins the node owns, the more likely it is to be selected as a validator of a block.
• Enhanced security: PoS uses advanced cryptography and validation techniques to ensure that every transaction is secure and accurate.
• Less centralised: PoS encourages less centralisation in the network, as nodes do not need a large amount of processing power to compete for block validation. This allows individual users to have greater control and participation in the network.
• Financial incentives: In PoS, validators receive rewards for their participation in the network and block validation, which incentivises participants to act responsibly and protect the integrity of the network.

PoS risks

While Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus protocol that has advantages in terms of energy efficiency and less centralisation compared to Proof of Work (PoW), it also has certain risks that need to be taken into account, among them:

• Concentration risk: In PoS, those with a larger number of coins are more likely to be selected as validators, which can lead to greater centralisation in the hands of a small group of participants with a large number of coins. This could lead to greater inequality in the distribution of coins and reduce participation and inclusion of individual users.
  Although less likely in PoS than in PoW, a 51% attack is possible if a group of validators control most of the coins in the network and join together to fraudulently validate blocks. This could lead to network manipulation and jeopardise the security of transactions.
  
  
• Technological risk: Like any other technology, PoS is not perfect and can have security flaws and bugs in the code that could be exploited by malicious attackers.
  
  
• Governance risk:PoS is based on the idea that those with a larger number of coins have more influence in the network. This can lead to governance problems if the interests of the participants are not aligned and conflicts in decision-making can arise.
  
  
• Inflation risk: refers to the possibility that the total supply of a cryptocurrency will increase too quickly due to rewards given to miners or validators of the protocol. In some cryptocurrency systems, these incentives are designed to decrease gradually over time, which helps to avoid excessive inflation in the long run.