Bitcoin uses Proof of Work.
Proof of Work
idiomA consensus method in which miners solve computational puzzles to validate transactions.
Origin
disputed originNamed because the network requires demonstrable computational work.
Under Proof of Work, miners race to solve a puzzle, and the winner adds the next block.
Critics argue that Proof of Work wastes enormous amounts of electricity, since thousands of machines compete to solve the same puzzle and only one is rewarded.
Last updated July 19, 2026