Dictionary

proof of work en · NOUN

Etymology

Coined in a 1999 paper.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A form of cryptographic proof in which a prover proves to verifiers that a certain amount of a specific computational effort has been expended.
   • Blockchains that use “proof-of-work”, as many popular cryptocurrencies do, raise yet another problem: they require a huge amount of raw energy to secure them. 2018 March 5, Nouriel Roubini, Preston Byrne, “Bitcoin is based on the blockchain pipe dream”, in The Guardian:
   • The network timestamps transactions by hashing them into an ongoing chain of hash-based proof-of-work, forming a record that cannot be changed without redoing the proof-of-work. 2008 October 31, Satoshi Nakamoto, “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”, in metzdowd.com Cryptography Mailing List:
2. (countable, uncountable) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see proof, of, work.

Forms

Coordinates

proof of stake · proof of space

Relateds

proof of stake · mining · proof of burn · zero-knowledge proof

Synonyms

PoW

Translations (3)

pt prova de trabalho (form of zero-knowledge proof) · cmn 工作證明 /工作证明 (form of zero-knowledge proof) · fi työtodistus (form of zero-knowledge proof)