Consensus vs Proof of Work

The process by which all participants in a blockchain network agree on the current state of the ledger, ensuring that all copies of the distributed database remain synchronized and that only valid transactions are recorded.

Proof of Work (PoW) is a consensus mechanism where miners compete to solve complex computational puzzles by finding valid hash outputs, with the winner earning the right to add the next block and receive cryptocurrency rewards while securing the network through computational expenditure.