Latest news about Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. Your daily crypto news habit.
Can TAU Exchange’s Proof of Transaction Trump PoW and PoS?
For every cryptocurrency there is a consensus mechanism, a way in which the network agrees upon which transactions are added to its distributed ledger. In Bitcoin, that mechanism is Proof of Work, but other cryptocurrencies have offered some compelling alternatives. Peercoin was the first introduced the Proof of Stake mechanism, albeit in a hybrid Proof of Work system. Proof of Stake has since been widely adopted in modified forms by cryptocurrencies such as Lisk and EOS (delegated Proof of Stake) while NXT uses a randomized version of Proof of Stake.
In any case, both Proof of Work and Proof of Stake have proven to be very popular consensus mechanisms with strong advocates for each. Now an experimental new currency called TAU is proposing an entirely new type of consensus mechanism. TAU call this unique solution Proof of Transaction (PoT).
Launching at 18 October 2018, the automated TAU Exchange (TAU-X) will enable users to seamlessly exchange TAU and BTC. Users will be able to wire BTC or TAU into the TAU-X pool, exchanging them in ratio to the total coins held in the pool.
Coin swap will occur every 360 blocks. For each coin swap the TAU foundation will place 60,000 TAU into the TAU-X pool for token distribution. If there are any TAU remaining they will carry over into the next coin swap. This will allow TAU and BTC holders to seamlessly exchange value without any middlemen.
TAU’s team decided to skip ICO and stay as a community coin.
David Wu, Founder at TAUCOIN, explained in his blog:
ICO is an established funds raising method to obtain resources. However, it does not do too much for the community. In most ICOs, none of the proceedings go to community. I believe the most important fact for a coin to be successful is the community satisfaction.
Is it possible that this upstart cryptocurrency has created something truly mold-breaking and can this novel mechanism offer an improvement on both Proof of Work and Proof of Stake? Let’s take a look.
Proof of Work
First, let’s get back to basics. Proof of Work (PoW) is the most ubiquitous and widely adopted consensus mechanism, thanks in large part to it being chosen by Satoshi Nakamoto for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. In a Proof of Work network transactions on the blockchain are verified by miners who compete to resolve a difficult computational puzzle. Whoever solves the computational puzzle is said to have mined the block and is rewarded in the cryptocurrency of that blockchain.
The Proof of Work consensus mechanism is the most battle-tested of consensus mechanisms but it is not without its flaws. In smaller networks it is prone to the dreaded 51% attack where an individual or organization control a majority of the network mining power allowing them to double-spend. Furthermore, since Proof of Work is very demanding on computational power, developers have sought to find consensus mechanisms which are less power hungry and energy-inefficient.
Proof of Stake
Proof of Stake is an alternative consensus mechanism designed to be more efficient than Proof of Work. Proof of Stake actually has several different variations, but it commonly involves holding a set number of coins over a set period of time to become eligible to approve blocks. In delegated Proof of Stake mechanisms stakeholders vote for ‘delegates’ to approve blocks. Although this type of consensus mechanism is far less energy intensive it encourages network users to hoard and to hodl in order to collect benefits from approving blocks.
Proof of Transaction
TAU is an experimental cryptocurrency which aims to overcome the inherent problems of both Proof of Work and Proof of Stake with a new type of consensus. TAU propose that in a Proof of Transaction blockchain the on-chain transaction fee should be used as proof to approve blocks. In this new consensus method, block generation is simply called mining just like in Bitcoin and other PoW blockchains, but the block reward comes in the form of a transaction fee. In short, miners work to collect the transaction fees.
The positive long-term economic benefits of the PoT mechanism is that it doesn’t encourage coin hoarding as in PoS, concentrating power and rewards in the hands of the few. It also doesn’t incur the massive computational costs of Proof of Work meaning it is less energy hungry and better for the environment. Every transaction on the TAU blockchain is promoted as part fee and as part investment — encouraging a greater level of financial activity within the network. Greater activity holds greater reward, not simply greater funds.
For this reason the wealth and benefits of mining are distributed more evenly amongst the network instead of the rich simply getting richer. Proof of Transaction is designed to benefit the ordinary person far better than PoW or PoS.
TAU members can also choose to work cooperatively by delegating their mining power to a mining leader as part of a mining club. Mining clubs create a way for even the smallest coin holders to benefit from reaching consensus on the blockchain.
For more details on the proposed Proof of Transaction consensus mechanism details can be found in the TAU White Paper or alternatively on the TAU website.
Can Proof of Transaction Trump Proof of Work and Proof of Stake? was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.