Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $1,070 trillion. Bitcoin is down by nearly 2% after intense seesawing this week. Ethereum increased by almost 2% over the past seven days. XRP lost more than 1% in value this week. Almost all altcoins are trading in the red, with a few exceptions. The DeFi sector decreased the total value of protocols (TVL)…
What is Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS)?
Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) is a consensus algorithm some blockchain networks use to achieve distributed consensus. In a DPoS system, token holders can delegate their voting power to “delegates,” who are responsible for validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain.
The process of reaching consensus in a DPoS system works as follows:
- First, token holders vote for delegates using their tokens. These votes determine how much “voting power” a delegate has.
- The top N delegates with the most voting power are chosen to be the “active delegates.” N is typically a small number, such as 21 or 100.
- The active delegates are responsible for validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain. They are also responsible for proposing and voting on network protocol changes.
- If an active delegate fails to perform their duties properly (e.g., they go offline or censor transactions), they can be voted out by token holders and replaced with another delegate.
There are several benefits to using DPoS for consensus. For one, it is more energy-efficient than the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus, which requires miners to perform computationally expensive tasks to validate transactions and add blocks to the chain. DPoS also allows for faster transaction speeds, as there are fewer delegates to reach a consensus.
One potential drawback of DPoS is that it relies on token holders to vote for delegates, which means those who hold the most tokens have the most influence over the network. This can lead to centralization and potential governance issues if a small group of token holders can control the majority of the voting power.
Examples of DPoS Blockchains
Here are a few examples of blockchain networks that use Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus:
- EOS: EOS is a decentralized operating system that uses DPoS consensus to power its smart contracts and dApps. EOS has 21 active delegates, known as “block producers,” who are responsible for validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain. Token holders can vote for block producers using their EOS tokens.
- TRON: TRON is a decentralized platform for building and deploying dApps. It uses DPoS consensus to validate transactions and add new blocks to the chain. TRON has 27 active delegates, known as “super representatives,” who are chosen by token holders through voting.
- Steem: Steem is a blockchain-based social media platform that rewards users for creating and curating content. It uses DPoS consensus to validate transactions and add new blocks to the chain. Steem has 20 active delegates, known as “witnesses,” who are chosen by token holders through voting.
- Cosmos: Cosmos is a decentralized network of blockchains that uses DPoS consensus to achieve interoperability between different blockchains. Cosmos has 100 active delegates, known as “validators,” who are responsible for validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain. Token holders can delegate their tokens to validators and earn a share of the validators’ reward.
Is DPos Decentralized?
Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) is generally considered a decentralized approach to consensus, as it relies on token holders to vote for delegates responsible for validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain.
However, it is important to note that the level of decentralization in a DPoS system can vary depending on how it is implemented. For example, if a small group of token holders can control the majority of the voting power, it could lead to centralization and potential governance issues.