How Does the Proof-of-Work Mechanism Ensure the Security of the Block Subsidy?

The Proof-of-Work (PoW) mechanism ensures the security of the block subsidy by making the process of creating a valid block computationally expensive. Miners must expend significant energy to find a valid hash, which is a process known as mining.

This cost prevents malicious actors from easily creating false blocks or claiming unearned subsidies. The immense computational power required to consistently find valid blocks and secure the network ensures that the block subsidy is only awarded to the miner who has genuinely contributed to the network's security and consensus.