PoW – Proof of Work

A year after the Merge made Ethereum even more popular, the network now faces the perils of a staking-fueled liquidity crunch. What are the alternatives?

Litecoin has executed its third halving event on Wednesday, reducing block rewards for miners from 12.5 to 6.25 Litecoins per block.

Like an awkward teen, Bitcoin is facing a crisis of confidence, writes Eddie Hui of MetaComp. What lies in store for the original cryptocurrency in 2023?

There are alternatives to just blockchain in the world of distributed ledger technologies – but what are they?

These PoW forks were created to keep revenue flowing for Ethereum’s miners, but plummeting prices put that plan at risk.

Three Ethereum chains that support mining — Ethereum Classic, ETHPoW and Ethereum Fair — together accounted for about 30% of the peak hashrate of Ethereum before “the Merge.”

Ethereum has long grappled with centralization, which the Merge will unlikely address in a meaningful way, writes Daniel Dizon of Swell Network.

White House says carbon footprint of crypto industry does not align with goals to decarbonize the economy.

Switzerland-based SEBA Bank, a global cryptocurrency lender, has introduced Ethereum staking services aimed at enabling clients to earn staking rewards on Ethereum. See related article: Ethereum’s Bellatrix upgrade now live despite concerns Fast facts Ethereum staking services would enable clients to earn rewards on a monthly basis, with adjustable lock-up periods available post-Merge, SEBA Bank […]

We take a look at how the Ethereum PoW fork has gained crypto exchange backings in this episode of The Daily Forkast.

Amid uncertainty over Ethereum ‘Merge,’ some seek ways to potentially profit

The final timeline for the ETH merge has been announced. Meanwhile, we take a deeper dive at blockchain and civic administrations.

iFinex Financial Technologies Limited, which operates the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange, has announced Ethereum chain split tokens (CSTs) to help prepare for all eventualities as the Ethereum merge nears.  See related article: ‘The Merge’ can make crypto payments mainstream again: Vitalik Buterin Fast facts “The Merge” upgrade involves the Ethereum blockchain’s transition from the proof-of-work (PoW) […]

In a Q&A, the former cryptocurrency miner explains his methods for trying to pull together a band of Ethereum mining brethren in order to keep their rigs running. The idea started at a party at his house.

Binance will support Ethereum’s “Merge,” expected in September, and will evaluate if it would list any newly forked tokens, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume said on Wednesday. See related article: USDC, Tether announce support for Ethereum proof-of-stake Fast facts Binance said it is closely monitoring the development of the merge, which could […]

WazirX users head for exits amid a dispute between Binance. Meanwhile, Circle and Tether announce support for the new ETH P-O-S.

Two of the largest stablecoin issuers — Tether and USDC — announced Tuesday that they will support Ethereum’s proof-of-stake (PoS) chain, as Ethereum’s “Merge” looms and crypto miners are banding together against the abandonment of mining.  See related article: Prominent Chinese ETH miner plans proof-of-work fork amid The Merge Fast facts See related article: Ethereum […]

Ethereum Classic’s (ETC) price has rallied since Ethereum developers announced the scheduled date for “The Merge,” which will see the blockchain transition from proof of work (PoW) to proof of stake (PoS), while Messari’s Tom Dunleavy says it won’t see sustained growth. See related article: Prominent Chinese ETH miner plans proof-of-work fork amid The Merge […]

Bank of America (BofA) has said Ethereum needs improvements in scalability in order to retain its market share from newer blockchains such as Binance Smart Chain, Tron, Avalanche and Solana, according to a CoinDesk report.  See related article: Ethereum will soon turn 7 — and its upcoming ‘Merge’ will be well worth the wait Fast […]

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said on Thursday that Ethereum will be about 55% complete after the “merge,” when the network moves from proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus system.  See related article: Eth2 merger closer as ninth shadow fork goes live Fast facts “Proof of stake is much more secure than proof of work, […]

The ‘Merge’ will have a major impact on the Ethereum ecosystem and beyond, and getting it right is more important than speed, writes Kevin Loo of IDEG.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin tweeted a defense of the network’s transition to proof of stake (PoS) on Tuesday, responding to arguments suggesting assets secured by such consensus mechanisms are a security. See related article: Ethereum one step closer to Eth2 with Ropsten testnet merger Fast facts “The fact that you can vote on something to […]

Notwithstanding this bear market, Web3’s more pressing issue is its inability to handle large volumes, writes Greg Gopman. Can sidechains offer a solution?

Lack of public trust remain a big barrier to crypto adoption, writes Tristan Roozendaal. Here’s why regulators should ‘move fast and break things.’

Ethereum’s move to proof of stake (PoS) is inching closer as the network’s oldest testnet Ropsten is expected to transition to PoS on Wednesday night Asia time. See related article: Ethereum PoS move is now being tested on a mainnet shadow fork Fast facts Ropsten’s proof-of-work (PoW) chain will merge with its PoS Beacon Chain […]

The New York State Assembly said it passed a cryptocurrency mining moratorium bill on Tuesday, blocking new permits and expansion for proof-of-work (PoW) mining facilities using carbon-based energy sources.  See related article: New York’s Bitcoin mining showdown sets stage for battles elsewhere Fast facts The bill needs approval by the New York State Senate. Existing […]

Can blockchain embody the values of Earth Day? Consider its growing role in ESG and the energy-efficiency of newer crypto, writes Eddie Hui of MVGX.

Ethereum’s merge on the Kiln testnet on Wednesday was a success, as the blockchain passed the final public test before its highly anticipated transition from a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism to proof-of-stake (PoS), which is expected to happen by the end of Q2, 2022. See related article: The best of Ethereum 2.0 is yet to […]

Top blockchain and crypto news: PoW spared as Europe revamps MiCA rules. Yuga Labs acquires CryptoPunks rights. China’s Mango TV makes NFT debut.

The European Parliament voted on Monday against a de facto ban on cryptocurrencies that rely on energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanisms, such as Bitcoin, from its proposed Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework. See related article: How serious is the threat of Bitcoin mining to the environment? Fast facts The Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs […]

K-pop fans are waging online campaigns against their favorite artists over NFTs, denouncing the technology’s carbon footprint. How polluting are NFTs?

Looking beyond this year’s headlines like El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption, here are the key developments in blockchain technology that will have lasting impact in the new year and beyond.

As the pushback over environmental concerns of the blockchain industry continues, a recent report by Solana says that a single transaction on the network uses less energy than just two Google searches. Fast facts Completed under the guidance of an independent energy and climate advisor, Solana’s November Energy Report found that a single Solana transaction […]

What are the different kinds of blockchain, and how do they compare? Learn all about public, private and permissioned platforms in this Forkast.News explainer.

Ethereum has hit a market-share high of 27% of all digital asset investment fund products following recent price corrections.

Crypto exchange Bybit is launching cloud mining to provide exposure to Ether. What happens when Ethereum moves from proof of work to proof of stake?

As we observe Earth Day, let’s not scapegoat cryptocurrency. The truth about renewable energy and electricity use by banking and gold may surprise you.

The siloed nature of many older blockchains is holding back DeFi’s potential, writes Sarah Kim of Terra. But help with greater interoperability is on the horizon.

Other top blockchain and crypto news: Bill Gates on bitcoin. Nvidia protects gamers from crypto miners with separate CMP and GeForce RTX graphics cards.

Tesla’s bitcoin dive is recharging an already hot crypto market, worsening the run on new mining equipment and heating up the second-hand rig market.

IOHK and Cardano’s founder also explains why new US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is the ‘single biggest development’ for the crypto industry’s future.

In this edition of Forkast Forecasts, the director of strategic initiatives at ConsenSys and author of “Block Kong” shares his views on CBDCs, stablecoins and Asia’s blockchain space.

Eth2 will run in parallel with Ethereum 1 for now. For how much longer, and will this affect ether inflation and block rewards? Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon explains.

ETH 2.0 raises over $300 million from over 16,300 participants, putting it on track for release next week after whales make big investments in the last minute.

In a special interview, Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon also discusses the critical role of government in encouraging greater blockchain adoption.

Ethereum Classic Labs CEO Terry Culver calls the hash rental market shady “like under a rock somewhere…. They’re basically money laundering operations.”

ETC’s recent hacks may be an occupational hazard of ‘proof-of-work’ blockchains, including BTC and ETH. Is going ‘proof of stake’ the answer?

Many blockchain protocols claim to be decentralized, but industry practices show the opposite. Even Bitcoin is largely controlled by a few.

Other top news: Teen accused of masterminding Twitter VIP hack heads to court. Huobi launches DeFi lab. Fintech VC in Singapore and Indonesia.

Forkast.News explains ‘proof of work’ — the DNA of Bitcoin — and and why most of the world’s cryptocurrency miners will soon be sweating a lot more for their coins.