Understanding Leased Proof-of-Stake
Proof-of-stake (PoS) is a term that cryptocurrency users are likely familiar with when it comes to crypto staking. However, there is another concept called leased proof-of-stake (LPoS) that is related to PoS. LPoS is a variant of the PoS system and serves as a solution for tokenholders who want to participate in block generation but don’t have the technical knowledge or financial resources.
In LPoS, tokenholders can lease their tokens to validator node operators, which increases the chances of those nodes being selected to create new blocks. In return, tokenholders earn a share of the transaction fees paid to the validator. The leased tokens never leave the tokenholder’s hardware wallet and remain under their control.
So how does LPoS work? First, tokenholders create a lease transaction, specifying the amount and recipient address. These leases can be canceled at any time. The leased funds then join a node’s pool, increasing the chances of winning the next-block lottery. Leasers also have the opportunity to participate in the consensus process and generate blocks. Rewards are distributed to leasers based on their investment, with higher stakes leading to more substantial rewards.
LPoS has several key features that make it unique. Firstly, leased tokens do not transfer to validators and cannot be traded. Users can lease out their tokens from cold storage or wallets. LPoS also promotes decentralization by dividing rewards based on the staked amount, eliminating the need for mining pools. It also offers unpredictable block generation, meaning there is no way to predict who will win the right to generate the next block.
LPoS plays an essential role in blockchain validation by utilizing nodes or network devices to verify and validate transactions. The selection of nodes for validation is determined by factors such as the age and size of staked tokens. Unlike proof-of-work systems that rely on computational power, LPoS uses passive cryptocurrency deposits, making it more resource-efficient.
Two prominent blockchains that utilize LPoS are Waves and Nix. Waves allows users to lease tokens to generating nodes and receive rewards distributed by these nodes. Nix, on the other hand, uses a permissionless staking mechanism that allows users to stake through a third-party wallet.
Engaging in LPoS offers several benefits. Users can passively invest and participate in block generation without actively mining. It also allows smaller investors to participate by leasing tokens to more prominent nodes. LPoS is difficult to manipulate due to its generating balance rule, and it increases the chances of winning rewards for leasers. Additionally, tokenholders retain ownership of their leased tokens, minimizing the risk of loss.
While LPoS is not technically mining, it is a way for users to validate transactions and create new blocks on a blockchain. There are other alternatives to LPoS that make use of the PoS consensus mechanism, such as delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS), pure proof-of-stake (PPoS), proof-of-validation (PoV), and hybrid proof-of-stake (HPoS).
In conclusion, LPoS is a variant of the PoS system that allows tokenholders to lease their tokens to validator node operators and earn rewards. It offers several benefits and plays a crucial role in blockchain validation.