What is Mining (Proof of Work)?. Mining is the process of securing proof‑of‑work blockchains by expending electricity to find valid blocks. The cost makes rewriting history prohibitively expensive.
How it works
Miners hash block candidates with different nonces until one meets the target. The winner broadcasts the block; others verify and build on it.
Why it matters
Mining aligns incentives: expend resources, follow rules, earn rewards. It underpins Bitcoin’s security model.
Common pitfalls
- Underestimating electricity and hardware costs
- Ignoring heat management and uptime
- Mining to an address you don’t control
Quick example
A small miner joins a pool to smooth rewards and receives payouts to a self‑custodied wallet.
See also
- Hashing
- 51% Attack
- Difficulty
TL;DR: What is Mining (Proof of Work)? defined in plain English with practical next steps.
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