Bitcoin mining and consensus: How to reach an agreement for validating the blockchain? (2024)

The Bitcoin consensus algorithm is called Proof of Work (PoW). This is the way for Bitcoin to solve the Byzantine General’s problem. PoW is, like the name suggests, a proof of performing the work, which is a mathematical challenge to validate the block. After solving the challenge, the block is added to the network and there is a reward for the node which solves it. This challenge requires a lot of computer power.

An analogy can be drawn to the process of mining for precious metals, like gold. When people mine for gold, they have to put in a lot of effort and use specialized tools to extract the precious metal from the ground. Similarly, within the Bitcoin Blockchain, computers put in effort to “extract” a quantity of new bitcoin (the cryptocurrency) from the digital "mines."

That is why the process is known as mining and the reward for that work is the cryptocurrency of the network. The bitcoin reward in this case, is a constant number, which decreases every four years. Another part of the reward for miners are the fees that the issuers have paid in order to get their transactions included in the block.

Other Blockchain networks may also use PoW or alternative types of algorithms. The need for other consensus algorithms arose in response to energy and environmental considerations.The community realized that PoW was performing the same calculation millions of times by thousands of machines to return only one result, spending a lot of energy in wasted calculations.

There were also inefficiencies in the number of transactions per second which the network supported. It was at this point when a new consensus mechanism, proof of stake (PoS) was created (explained below). Ethereum, the second biggest Blockchain by market capitalization after Bitcoin, switched its protocol from PoW to Proof of Stake (PoS). Ethereum´s transition to PoS was finalised in September 2022 in an event referred to as “The Merge”. The PoS reward in the Ethereum network remains as ETH but is performed using PoS now instead of PoW.

Bitcoin mining and consensus: How to reach an agreement for validating the blockchain? (2024)

FAQs

How to reach consensus in blockchain? ›

Common examples of consensus mechanisms in blockchain include proof of work, in which crypto miners are handsomely rewarded with newly generated tokens in exchange for authenticating transactions by way of solving arbitrary computational puzzles, and proof of stake, where users put up a certain amount of tokens for a ...

How do Bitcoin miners validate transactions? ›

Validated transactions are grouped into a block to be “mined.” The PoW algorithm (SHA-256) generates a 64-character hash for the block. Using computational power, miners compete to generate a target hash below the block hash, solving the problem. The winning miner verifies and adds the block and receives the reward.

How do I confirm a Bitcoin transaction on blockchain? ›

A confirmation represents the acceptance of a new block (containing several transactions) by the blockchain network. Once a miner has successfully added a new block to the blockchain, one 'confirmation' has occurred. This means that the transactions within the block are verified and are now part of the blockchain.

What is the best way to reach consensus? ›

Building Consensus
  1. pooling opinions;
  2. listening effectively;
  3. discussing ideas and differences;
  4. not getting all you want; and.
  5. coming to an agreement that everyone "can live with."

What are the three types of consensus in blockchain? ›

What are the types of Consensus Mechanisms? There are various consensus mechanisms, including Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, Delegated Proof of Stake, Proof of Capacity, Proof of Importance, and so on.

How do you validate a blockchain? ›

The most accepted form of validation for open-source blockchains is proof of work—the solution to a mathematical puzzle derived from the block's header. Miners try to “solve” the block by making incremental changes to one variable until the solution satisfies a network-wide target.

Can I receive Bitcoin on blockchain without verification? ›

If you're not interested in trading crypto on the Exchange, you can still use the Blockchain.com DeFi Wallet to send, receive and hold crypto without verifying your identity.

How long does it take to verify blockchain? ›

If your submission is clear and consistent, the automated verification may take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours. If there are problems and a manual review is required, it may take approximately 5 business days.

How is a blockchain transaction verified? ›

A transaction is considered verified once the miner solves a cryptographic (mathematical) puzzle. Bitcoin uses a protocol called proof of work, which has a broad goal to prevent cyber attacks from any single entity or group.

What method does Bitcoin use to verify its transactions? ›

Digital Signatures: To prove that you are the owner of the bitcoin you want to send, the transaction must be signed using your private key through a cryptographic process. This is known as a digital signature.

How long does it take to receive Bitcoin from blockchain? ›

In general, Bitcoin transactions usually take from one to one and half hours to complete. On occasion, a high volume of transactions taking place on the Blockchain could lead to transaction delays.

How is consensus achieved in Permissioned blockchain? ›

Once a minimum number of these validators agree, a consensus is reached. Round-robin - In a round-robin consensus, nodes are selected pseudo-randomly to create blocks. Once chosen, a node must pass through a cooling-off period before it can reenter the pool and be available again for consensus participation.

Which is the best consensus algorithm in blockchain? ›

Proof of Work (PoW) is the oldest and most widely used consensus algorithm in blockchain. It was first implemented by Bitcoin and later adopted by many other cryptocurrencies. PoW requires nodes to solve a hard mathematical puzzle, called a hash, to create a new block and validate transactions.

How do you solve consensus problems? ›

To solve the consensus problem in a shared-memory system, concurrent objects must be introduced. A concurrent object, or shared object, is a data structure which helps concurrent processes communicate to reach an agreement.

What is the algorithm for consensus in the Bitcoin blockchain? ›

The various algorithms are proof-of-burn (PoB), proof-of-stake (PoS), proof-of-burn (PoB), proof-of-elapsed time (PoET), Bitcoin-NG, ByzCoin, algorand, and delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS). The energy-efficient algorithms are PoS, PoB, PoET, and DPoS.

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