proof of work

plural proofs of work · alternative proof-of-work

1. countableuncountablebusinessA 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

   1 more example

   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

   Synonyms: PoW

2. countableuncountableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see proof, of, work.