What Is the Fundamental Difference between Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake Consensus Mechanisms?
Proof-of-Work (PoW) relies on miners expending computational power (energy) to solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions and secure the network. Proof-of-Stake (PoS) relies on validators locking up (staking) their existing cryptocurrency holdings to achieve consensus.
PoS is generally considered more energy-efficient and does not require specialized mining hardware.