Clear DefinitionsProof-of-Activity
1 min read
Pronunciation
[proof uhv ak-tiv-i-tee]
Analogy
Imagine a two-stage security check. First, a security guard (PoW miner) uses significant effort to find a special key to open a preliminary gate for a new record (an almost-empty block). Then, a randomly selected committee of stakeholders (PoS validators) inspects this preliminary record, fills it with transactions, and uses their own keys to collectively finalize and approve it. Both effort and stake are needed.
Definition
A hybrid consensus mechanism that combines elements of Proof-of-Work (PoW) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS). In Proof-of-Activity, the mining process starts like PoW, but blocks are then signed and validated by a group of PoS validators chosen based on their stake.
Key Points
A hybrid consensus algorithm.
Mining begins with a Proof-of-Work phase to create block templates (often with minimal transaction data).
A group of active stakeholders (validators in a PoS-like system) are then chosen pseudo-randomly to sign and complete the block.
Both miners and stakeholders are rewarded.
Intended to make attacks more difficult by requiring an attacker to have both significant hashing power and a large stake.
Example
Technical Deep Dive
In a typical Proof-of-Activity scheme, PoW miners compete to find block headers with a valid proof-of-work. These headers might contain little to no transaction data. Once a PoW solution is found, the header is broadcast. Then, a cryptographically selected group of PoS validators (based on their stake) signs this block template, effectively validating it and adding transactions. If not enough validators sign, the block might be discarded. This aims to mitigate risks like 51% attacks (as stake is also needed) and 'nothing-at-stake' problems (as PoW mining has a real cost).
Proof-of-Activity - Related Articles
No related articles for this term.