Solana's Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanism is what enables the network to process thousands of transactions per second while maintaining security and decentralization.
How Proof of History Works
- 🔹 Cryptographic Timestamps - Creates verifiable passage of time between events
- 🔹 Sequential Hashing - Each hash depends on the previous one, creating an immutable timeline
- 🔹 Parallel Processing - Validators can process transactions simultaneously
- 🔹 Energy Efficient - No competition for block creation like in Proof of Work
Advantages Over Traditional Consensus
Unlike blockchains that require validators to communicate and agree on time, PoH provides a built-in clock that all participants can trust. This eliminates the need for expensive consensus rounds.
Real-World Performance
The combination of PoH with Proof of Stake enables Solana to achieve theoretical throughput of 65,000 TPS with sub-second finality, making it suitable for high-frequency applications.
Proof of History represents a fundamental breakthrough in blockchain consensus design.