Orca Crypto
Technology term

Proof of stake

Securing a chain by requiring validators to lock capital they can lose.

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Updated 2026-08-303 min readDefinition
Definition

Securing a chain by requiring validators to lock capital they can lose.

Validators deposit tokens as collateral and are chosen to propose and attest blocks. Misbehavior is punished by slashing part of that stake.

It uses almost no energy compared with proof of work, and it makes attacks costly through capital at risk rather than electricity spent.

In practice

Ethereum requires 32 ETH to run a validator, or you can stake smaller amounts through a pool.

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