How Consensus Works

Consensus is how a blockchain decides which new block becomes part of the shared history. The exact method changes by network, but the goal is the same: many participants agreeing on one valid state.

The two best-known approaches are Proof of Work and Proof of Stake. They secure the ledger differently and carry different tradeoffs.

Consensus shapes how a chain feels in practice: its energy profile, how people participate, and the kind of trust assumptions users accept.

You do not need to memorize every mechanism yet. What matters now is that agreement is economic as much as technical.