The Pros and Cons of “Proof of work” and “Proof of Stake” - Crypto in Plain English – Episode 21 - by cryptohunt.it

Welcome to the cryptohunt jam where we spend one minute a day to explain crypto. In plain english.

Today we talk about the pros and cons of ““Proof of work” and “Proof of Stake”

There are a few things that you’d want from a payment method and amongst them are quick processing, and low transaction costs.

Imagine buying a coffee on your break and the line is out the door, because everybody has to wait at the counter for 5 minutes before their credit card transaction goes through. And when it goes through, you end up paying 60 dollars in processing fees for a 3 dollar coffee.

The disadvantage of “proof of work” is exactly that. The network is less likely to handle lots of transactions at the same time, because those math puzzles require time and energy to solve. Currently, Bitcoin can only process 7 transactions per second for example, and likewise paying 50 dollars for one on Ethereum isn’t unusual.

“Proof of work” solves that. No puzzles to solve means just crunching transactions, and computers are really good at that because it is so simple. The only downside here is that you won’t be able to mine coins – meaning validate in this case – if you don’t have a substantial amount in your holding already.

And next time, we’ll talk about these differences between paying with crypto and your good old Credit Card.

Disclaimer: This podcast references our opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Do your own research and seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.