Proof of Stake
A consensus rule where validators lock up coins as collateral instead of burning electricity.
Under proof of stake, the right to propose and attest to blocks is assigned to validators who have deposited the network’s native token as a bond. Honest behaviour earns rewards; provable misbehaviour destroys part of the deposit through slashing.
Ethereum, Solana, Cardano and Avalanche all use variants of this model. It removes the energy cost of mining but concentrates influence among the largest token holders and staking services.