How Does Proof-of-Work Contribute to the Initial Block Creation in PoA?

In the PoA model, the PoW component is responsible for the initial mining of an empty block template. Miners expend computational power to find a hash below a target threshold.

This process provides the initial security and decentralization associated with PoW. The mined block template is then broadcast to the network.

It does not contain any transactions yet, only the header information.

How Does a Cryptocurrency’s Difficulty Adjustment Mechanism Work?
What Is the Economic Cost to a Staker If They Participate in Signing a Block on a Rejected Fork?
How Does the Energy Consumption of PoA Compare to Pure PoW?
How Does Proof-of-Work Contribute to the Security of Proof-of-Activity?
What Is the Purpose of a “Blank Block” in the PoA Mechanism?
How Is the ‘Empty Block’ Concept Relevant to Transaction Throughput?
How Does a Proof-of-Work (PoW) Consensus Mechanism Prevent Double-Spending?
What Is the Role of the Block Header in This Initial PoW Phase?

Glossar