How Is a 51% Attack Easier on a Proof-of-Work (PoW) Coin than a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) Coin?

In PoW, an attacker needs to acquire vast amounts of mining hardware or rent hash power, which is expensive but achievable for small coins. In PoS, an attacker needs to acquire 51% of the total coin supply, which is often prohibitively expensive and would dramatically inflate the coin's price during acquisition.

Additionally, many PoS protocols include 'slashing' mechanisms that punish malicious validators by destroying their staked coins, creating a massive financial disincentive.