Consensus & Mining
Beginner
Updated 11/26/2025
What is
Proof-of-Work?
A consensus mechanism where miners expend computational energy to secure the network and validate transactions.
Proof-of-Work (PoW) is a consensus mechanism where miners compete to solve cryptographic puzzles, expending real-world energy to secure the blockchain. Ergo uses Autolykos PoW, which is memory-hard and GPU-friendly. PoW provides strong censorship resistance because anyone can mine without permission.
Key Points
- Miners expend energy to secure network
- Strongest censorship resistance
- Permissionless participation
- Ergo uses Autolykos (GPU-friendly)
- No staking requirements or lockups
- Proven security model (Bitcoin)
Use Cases
1
Securing the Ergo blockchain
2
Fair coin distribution through mining
3
Censorship-resistant transaction processing
4
Decentralized network consensus
Technical Details
In PoW, miners hash block headers until finding a value below the difficulty target. This requires significant computation but verification is instant. Ergo's Autolykos adds memory-hardness (~2.5GB), making ASICs uneconomical while remaining efficient on consumer GPUs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Proof-of-Work
Common questions about this topic
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
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
Why does Ergo's fair launch matter?
Ergo had no pre-mine, no ICO, no VC allocation. 100% of ERG enters circulation through mining. That removes a major insider-allocation overhang and makes governance less dependent on early investor exits. Long-term decentralization still depends on active miners, users, builders, and community participation.
Philosophy
Philosophy
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