How Does the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Differ between PoW and PoS Networks?

Proof-of-Work (PoW) networks require high CAPEX for specialized mining hardware (ASICs or GPUs) and significant ongoing operational expenditure (OPEX) for electricity and cooling. Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks, conversely, require much lower CAPEX, primarily for the purchase of the underlying cryptocurrency to stake and a less demanding validator node setup.

The main cost in PoS is the opportunity cost of the locked capital, not the physical hardware or energy.