--- title: "Proof of Stake (PoS)" url: "https://www.unknowngravity.com/en/glosario/proof-of-stake-pos" site: Unknown Gravity published: "2025-06-07T15:26:25+00:00" modified: "2026-07-15T10:51:28+00:00" language: en-US description: "Proof of Stake (PoS) It's a distributed consensus mechanism used in blockchains to validate blocks and secure the network, where the right to participate as validator is assigned based on the amount…" section: "Home > Proof of Stake (PoS)" --- # Proof of Stake (PoS) GLOSSARY · BLOCKCHAIN & WEB3 Consensus mechanism where validators are chosen based on the number of tokens they hold and stake. WHAT IS IT? · FOR DUMMIES **Proof of Stake**, or **PoS**, is one way that blockchains decide who is right. Instead of using powerful computers like in Bitcoin, here people **“stake” their cryptocurrencies** to help validate blocks. The more they have staked, **the more weight their votes carry**. If they behave well, they earn rewards; if they cheat, they may lose some of their money. WHAT IS IT? · PRO **Proof of Stake (PoS)** It's a **distributed consensus mechanism** used in blockchains to validate blocks and secure the network, where the right to participate as **validator** is assigned based on the **amount of locked tokens (“stake”)** for each node. Unlike **Proof of Work (PoW)**, which requires large amounts of computational power and energy, PoS is based on **economic incentives and digital signature cryptography** to achieve consensus among network participants. In PoS, validators are selected pseudorandomily, weighted by the amount of cryptocurrencies they are staking. This process includes penalties such as **Slashing** for misbehavior (e.g. double validation or inactivity) and rewards in the form of newly issued tokens or transaction fees. This allows the network to be kept secure without the need for hardware-intensive block mining. PoS has multiple variants implemented in networks such as: - **Ethereum (after The Merge)**: Pure PoS with slashing and selection using the RANDAO algorithm. - **Polkadot/Cosmos**: NPoS (Nominated PoS) or DPoS (Delegated PoS) model, where users can delegate their stake to validators. - **Cardano/Tezos**: they use adaptive PoS with integrated governance. In addition to improving the **energy efficiency and scalability**, PoS allows for more inclusive and sustainable network designs, opening the door to on-chain governance mechanisms, greater economic decentralization and reduction of entry barriers for block validation. ## 01 / Key points - Alternative consensus protocol to Proof of Work - Select validators based on the stake locked in the network - Reduces energy consumption and the need for expensive hardware - It allows you to receive rewards and penalizes bad practices (slashing) - Adopted by Ethereum and many other modern blockchains ## 02 / Advantages - **High energy efficiency** compared to PoW - **Encourage good behavior** through economic penalties - **Allows participation by delegation** (no need to run a node) - **More accessible** for average users who want to contribute to the network - **Facilitates on-chain governance and scalability structures** ## 03 / Disadvantages - **Risk of economic centralization** If few actors accumulate a large part of the stake - **Economic Incentives Unit** to maintain security - **Technical complexity in the implementation of slashing and random selection** - **Doesn't completely eliminate the risk of coordinated attacks (e.g. 51%)** - **It requires an active and secure infrastructure to operate as a validator** RELATED CONCEPTS [Slashing](/en/glosario/slashing) [Node](/en/glosario/nodo) [Blockchain](/en/glosario/blockchain) [Token](/en/glosario/token) [Smart contract](/en/glosario/smart-contract) [Smart Contract](/en/glosario/smart-contract-contrato-inteligente) KEEP LEARNING [How to protect your digital assets in the cryptocurrency world](/en/articulos/como-proteger-tus-activos-digitales-criptomonedas) [What Do Blockchain Developers Do?](/en/articulos/que-hacen-los-desarrolladores-blockchain) [The crypto market in full change: are we facing a new financial era?](/en/articulos/el-mercado-cripto-en-pleno-cambio-estamos-ante-una-nueva-era-financiera) [Smart contracts: good practices that will save you from a hack](/en/articulos/contratos-inteligentes-bien-hechos-buenas-practicas-que-te-salvaran-de-un-hack) [Tokenomics that work: How to design an economy that doesn't collapse in 6 months](/en/articulos/tokenomics-que-funcionan-como-disenar-una-economia-que-no-se-derrumbe-en-6-meses) RELATED SERVICES [Blockchain protocol development](/en/servicios/desarrollo-de-protocolos-blockchain) [Digital Identity Management](/en/servicios/blockchain-para-gestion-de-identidades-digitales) [Smart contract auditing](/en/servicios/blockchain-security-audits) [Blockchain consulting for companies](/en/servicios/consultoria-blockchain) [Voting and Governance](/en/servicios/blockchain-para-votaciones-y-gobernanza) [Full glossary](/en/glosario) This entry is informative. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. The rules cited change: check the current version on [BOE](https://www.boe.es) and [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu).