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The Masternode Ecosystem – A Leading Innovation in Consensus Mechanisms
With Blockchain technology came all sorts of intricacies and technical aspects that began to be developed, debated, criticized, and implemented. There isn’t a single protocol, feature, or application that checks the list of any participant, and that’s a good sign. Criticisms, most importantly constructive criticisms, pushed boundaries, stimulated innovation, and brought about progress.
One such niche innovation to consensus mechanisms was the introduction of Masternodes. Masternodes are an added layer on the base layer consensus mechanisms. For instance, Dash is a privacy-based cryptocurrency that makes use of Masternodes. In addition, it is a proof-of-work-based mineable cryptocurrency that, unlike bitcoin, does not give total rewards to the miners and the nodes that validate, secure, and share the blockchain.
What are Masternodes?
A masternode is simply a cryptocurrency full node or computer wallet that keeps the full copy of the blockchain in real-time, just like you have full Bitcoin nodes, and is always up & running. But Masternodes are considerably different in their functionality than normal nodes.
In general, nodes keep a copy of the blockchain at any given moment, secure and re-verify the transactions, and share the copy with other nearby nodes. These get no real incentive to do what they do.
But with Masternodes, that is not the case.
On blockchains that use the masternode mechanism, such as Dash, PIVX, Energi, etc., nodes are as crucial as the miners. The role of miners is to provide computation power to the network and help in verifying and securing the transactions, while the part of a masternode, which cements their position by staking a minimum amount depending upon the blockchain, is to collect and assemble the transactions, hold records of the blockchain, re-verify the transactions, and propagate the information to all the other nodes. This divides the responsibilities and secures the blockchain in two ways. Furthermore, Masternodes can be customized for both Proof-of-stake and Proof-of-Work chains.
Like full nodes in any protocol, Masternodes can be run by anyone interested enough. However, there is usually an entry barrier to ensure that the nodes do not act against the system. The entry barrier is a small stake the person running the node takes upon themselves. It is a small collateralize, consisting of specific units of that particular cryptocurrency, to run a masternode, taken as a guarantee to disincentive the person from acting against the network because he has a vested stake in it.
Due to their inherent inclusion of nodes into the incentive system, Masternodes can also be customized to carry out dozens of other features. For example, governance, Privacy, Voting, etc., can be carried out through the Masternodes. Thus, they effectively help in running the network.
A Look into Major Masternode Coins
To compare masternode coins, we will take the top 5 cryptocurrencies concerning Market Cap and at leasttwo2 years of market penetration:
DASH
- Consensus Algorithm: X11
- Number of Masternodes: 4690
- Minimum Stake: 1,000 Dash
- Responsibilities of the Masternode: Masternodes are powerful servers backed by collateral held in Dash and are designed to provide advanced services and governance on the blockchain. Masternodes host complete copies of the blockchain and give a unique second layer of services to the network, facilitating advanced functions such as InstantSend, PrivateSend, and usernames on the blockchain.
PIVIX
Consensus Algorithm: Customized Proof-of-stake + zerocoin Proof-of-Stake Hybrid
- Of Masternodes:1,421
- Minimum Stake: 10,000 PIVX
- Responsibilities of the Masternode: Besides the duties of a general masternode, a PIVX masternode must ensure the total privacy of all transactional information flowing through the node. Furthermore, the node must readily participate in the network’s governance decisions and give and make changes, given consensus is achieved first. The decentralized budgeting system, called the Treasury, is also held under the purview of the masternode. It makes budgetary decisions for the network, such as marketing allocation, developer incentives, etc.
EtherZero
- Consensus Algorithm: Proof-of-Stake
- of master nodes: 529
- Minimum Stake: 20,000 ETZ
- Responsibilities of the Masternode: The management structure of the EtherZero Community, backed by masternodes, is designed so that Community members fully manage the community’s development and finances. One of the management tools is ETZVote – a system for making proposals by community members and voting for them. The official websites state that the primary motivation for masternodes will be the assessment that the proposals on the forum are beneficial for the growth of the coin price.
ZCoin
- Consensus Algorithm: Proof-of-Work
- of’Masternodes: 5,812
- Minimum Stake: 1,000 XZC
- Responsibilities of the Masternode: A network based on the principles of the zero coin whitepaper, ZCoin, is another privacy-centric cryptocurrency. It is mineable, has a supply structure similar to bitcoin, and, as an added feature, involves a masternode layer. The Masternodes ensure the privacy of transactions, information, and anonymous voting and governance.
Responsibilities of the Masternode: The Proof of Stake algorithm used by the project uses less than 1% of the electricity that traditional mining does. They have also invented a spectrum of features on the masternode technology that boasts a wide range of applications. For example, Divi is the first project to experiment with the tiered masternode system. This system works on offering higher rewards to those who accumulate more coins for their nodes—the protocol also provides visual on-demand stats, such as the Masternode Map. Masternode Map shows the connection between each node, how they are related, and who they are connected to, among other details. Masternode owners choose their level of commitment to support the network and are paid based on that effort. Visit our Staking Pools & Masternodes Page for the best hosting services!
Btc
Bitcoin
$44.009
price
price
5.51201%
price change
Stats Updated on 04 April 2020 From Masternodes Online
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