The minimization of proof of work's (PoW) energy cost and carbon footprint is one of the most hotly discussed topics in the crypto space. Substituting the PoW primitive in Nakamoto's longest-chain protocol with a proof of useful work (PoUW) has long been theorized as an ideal solution in many respects but, to this day, the concept has lacked a convincingly secure realization.

Today, at the leading international cryptology conference, Crypto, Input Output Global, Inc (IOG) introduces Ofelimos, a novel PoUW-based blockchain protocol whose consensus mechanism simultaneously realizes a decentralized optimization-problem solver. The…

Layer 1: definition

Imagine a wedding cake, with different tiers -layers, if you will-, and the figurine of a couple on top. That beautiful cake rests on a solid stand, the base. For all intents and purposes, that robust and solid cake stand is the first layer (layer 1) that supports the cake infrastructure. You can probably see where this is going. In a blockchain, layer 1 is…

Smart contracts present a standard approach to expressing complex interactions between two or more parties willing to exchange currencies or data in a decentralized way. Smart contracts are effectively automated digital agreements on a blockchain. Written in code, they can track, verify and execute the binding transactions of a contract when predetermined conditions are met. To…

For more details about staking and delegation, read 'Staking is the bedrock of Cardano'.

Each month, a few more Cardano stake pools are being created, so far bringing the total number of active pools to more than 3,000. At the start of 2021, there were about 2,000. The ada is staked from 1.2 million wallet addresses. In the process, the level of delegation has increased to almost 74% of all the ada in circulation. That’s some achievement, but it still leaves a…