Consensus & Mining
Beginner
What is
Consensus Mechanism?
The method by which blockchain nodes agree on the current state of the ledger.
Consensus mechanisms allow distributed nodes to agree on which transactions are valid and in what order. Ergo uses Autolykos, a memory-hard Proof-of-Work consensus that requires miners to solve computational puzzles. This ensures security through energy expenditure while remaining ASIC-resistant for fair participation.
Key Points
- Ensures all nodes agree on ledger state
- PoW (Ergo) vs PoS (Ethereum) approaches
- Autolykos is memory-hard, ASIC-resistant
- Security comes from computational cost
- Prevents double-spending attacks
- Enables trustless operation
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Consensus Mechanism
Common questions about this topic
How to get started with Ergo?
Start by getting a wallet (Nautilus for browser, Terminus for mobile). Back up your seed phrase securely offline. Get some ERG from a current exchange or verified venue, then make a small test transaction. After that, explore NFTs, mining, DeFi references, or the developer stack if you're a builder.
How-to
Getting Started
What is the best GPU for Ergo mining?
For Ergo mining, GPUs with high memory bandwidth perform best. Popular choices include NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti, 3070, 3080, and AMD RX 6800 XT. Minimum 4GB VRAM required. The best GPU depends on your budget, electricity cost, and availability. Efficiency (hashrate per watt) matters more than raw hashrate.
Explainer
Mining
How to provide liquidity on Ergo?
Providing liquidity on Ergo depends on the current active DEX or AMM venue. In general, you deposit equal value of two assets into a pool, receive LP tokens representing your share, and earn a portion of trading fees. Spectrum Finance is historical/frozen since February 2024, so verify the active venue, contracts, liquidity depth, and withdrawal process before depositing funds.
How-to
DeFi
Is Ergo safe and secure?
Yes, Ergo is highly secure. It uses Proof-of-Work (the same security model as Bitcoin), has not had a known protocol-level exploit, and the eUTXO model eliminates entire classes of smart contract vulnerabilities. The code is open-source and peer-reviewed. Your security also depends on proper seed phrase management.
Explainer
Getting Started