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What does proof of work prove?
A cheap-to-check result reflects a costly search.
In Bitcoin mining, candidate block headers are tried until a hash satisfies a target. Other nodes can check the result quickly; finding it generally requires many attempts.
This constrains participation through work. It does not establish a miner’s identity or the truth of external claims. A block meeting the work target must still satisfy other validity rules.
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Does meeting the hash target make transaction validation unnecessary?
No. Work verification does not replace transaction rules.
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