What Is a ‘Hash below a Target Threshold’ in PoW?

The 'target threshold' is a dynamically adjusted number that dictates the difficulty of the PoW puzzle. Miners must find an input (nonce) that, when hashed with the block data, produces an output hash value that is numerically smaller than the target.

A lower target means a more difficult puzzle, requiring more computational attempts. This mechanism controls the block creation rate.