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Proof Of Work (POW)
Proof of work (PoW) is a consensus mechanism used in cryptocurrency networks to validate transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain. It is a complex mathematical problem that must be solved by miners in order to add a new block to the blockchain, and it serves as a way to secure the network and prevent fraud.
In PoW systems, miners compete to solve the mentioned problem, and the first miner to do so, is rewarded with the block reward and the transaction fees. This whole process is called mining. The miner who solves the problem first, will add the block to the blockchain, and the network will then validate the block by checking that the solution is correct.