What is a Proof of Work link?

In Zenon Network Proof of Work (PoW) links will serve as a novel anti-sybil and anti-spam mechanism that plays an integral role in the network's consensus algorithm. It is designed to enhance network connectivity and limit certain attacks by incentivizing nodes to contribute resources. Here are some key aspects of the PoW link as described in the whitepaper:

Purpose and Function: The PoW link has two primary goals. First, it strengthens the ledger by adding weight to it, which involves recording the resulting work of the PoW link. Second, it further incentivizes sentinel nodes to safeguard the network against various attacks, such as spam or distributed denial of service (DDoS).

Participation and Conditions: Only Sentinel nodes can participate in the creation of a PoW link. Additionally, only the private key owner of a Sentinel node can produce valid signatures for the composition process of a PoW link. The signature attached to any transaction must be unique, and a minimum overall weight for the PoW link is required for it to be considered valid. This weight is determined by a difficulty parameter that establishes a minimum target weight for the transaction.

Integration with Ledger and Security Measures: The NoM architecture will employ two PoW mechanisms. Valid transactions require a PoW threshold, obtained from the PoW link algorithm, to be entered into the ledger. This is in addition to the PoW mechanism used by the pillars. For each pillar, a PoW translated into computational power is required to complete each epoch. The system is designed to prevent attackers from creating a heavier ledger in terms of accumulated PoW, thereby mitigating the risk of ledger forking and ensuring that users are not misled by malicious forks.

Conclusion: The PoW link in the Zenon Network's NoM represents an evolution of the traditional PoW mechanism. It not only contributes to the security and integrity of the network but also encourages efficient resource utilization and active participation from nodes, particularly Sentinel nodes. This mechanism enhances the overall robustness of the network against various forms of cyber threats and attacks. It's important to note that as if this writing, PoW links and virtual voting are not implemented, but are contemplated by the network archtiect.

For a deeper technical analysis of the sybil-proofness in a three-hop path please read A Simple Proof of Sybil-proof