BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

Bitcoin is present on the following networks: bitcoin, lightning_network. The Bitcoin blockchain network uses a consensus mechanism called Proof of Work (PoW) to achieve distributed consensus among its nodes. Here's a detailed breakdown of how it works: Core Concepts 1. Nodes and Miners: Nodes: Nodes are computers running the Bitcoin software that participate in the network by validating transactions and blocks. Miners: Special nodes, called miners, perform the work of creating new blocks by solving complex cryptographic puzzles. 2. Blockchain: The blockchain is a public ledger that records all Bitcoin transactions in a series of blocks. Each block contains a list of transactions, a reference to the previous block (hash), a timestamp, and a nonce (a random number used once). 3. Hash Functions: Bitcoin uses the SHA-256 cryptographic hash function to secure the data in blocks. A hash function takes input data and produces a fixed-size string of characters, which appears random. Consensus Process 1. Transaction Validation: Transactions are broadcast to the network and collected by miners into a block. Each transaction must be validated by nodes to ensure it follows the network's rules, such as correct signatures and sufficient funds. 2. Mining and Block Creation: Nonce and Hash Puzzle: Miners compete to find a nonce that, when combined with the block's data and passed through the SHA-256 hash function, produces a hash that is less than a target value. This target value is adjusted periodically to ensure that blocks are mined approximately every 10 minutes. Proof of Work: The process of finding this nonce is computationally intensive and requires significant energy and resources. Once a miner finds a valid nonce, they broadcast the newly mined block to the network. 3. Block Validation and Addition: Other nodes in the network verify the new block to ensure the hash is correct and that all transactions within the block are valid. If the block is valid, nodes add it to their copy of the blockchain and the process starts again with the next block. 4. Chain Consensus: The longest chain (the chain with the most accumulated proof of work) is considered the valid chain by the network. Nodes always work to extend the longest valid chain. In the case of multiple valid chains (forks), the network will eventually resolve the fork by continuing to mine and extending one chain until it becomes longer. For the calculation of the corresponding indicators, the additional energy consumption and the transactions of the Lightning Network have also been taken into account, as this reflects the categorization of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation for the respective functionally fungible group ("FFG") relevant for this reporting. If one would exclude these transactions, the respective estimations regarding the "per transaction" count would be substantially higher.

Bitcoin is present on the following networks: bitcoin, lightning_network. The Bitcoin blockchain relies on a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism to ensure the security and integrity of transactions. This mechanism involves economic incentives for miners and a fee structure that supports network sustainability: Incentive Mechanisms 1. Block Rewards: Newly Minted Bitcoins: Miners are incentivized by block rewards, which consist of newly created bitcoins awarded to the miner who successfully mines a new block. Initially, the block reward was 50 BTC, but it halves every 210,000 blocks (approx. every four years) in an event known as the "halving." Halving and Scarcity: The halving mechanism ensures that the total supply of Bitcoin is capped at 21 million, creating scarcity and potentially increasing value over time. 2. Transaction Fees: User Fees: Each transaction includes a fee paid by the user to incentivize miners to include their transaction in a block. These fees are crucial, especially as the block reward diminishes over time due to halving. Fee Market: Transaction fees are determined by the market, where users compete to have their transactions processed quickly. Higher fees typically result in faster inclusion in a block, especially during periods of high network congestion. For the calculation of the corresponding indicators, the additional energy consumption and the transactions of the Lightning Network have also been taken into account, as this reflects the categorization of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation for the respective functionally fungible group ("FFG") relevant for this reporting. If one would exclude these transactions, the respective estimations regarding the "per transaction" count would be substantially higher.

The energy consumption of this asset is aggregated across multiple components: For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "top-down" approach is being used, within which an economic calculation of the miners is assumed. Miners are persons or devices that actively participate in the proof-of-work consensus mechanism. The miners are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. Hardware is pre-selected based on the consensus mechanism's hash algorithm: SHA-256. A current profitability threshold is determined on the basis of the revenue and cost structure for mining operations. Only Hardware above the profitability threshold is considered for the network. The energy consumption of the network can be determined by taking into account the distribution for the hardware, the efficiency levels for operating the hardware and on-chain information regarding the miners' revenue opportunities. If significant use of merge mining is known, this is taken into account. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation. To determine the energy consumption of a token, the energy consumption of the network(s) lightning_network is calculated first. Based on the crypto asset's gas consumption per network, the share of the total consumption of the respective network that is assigned to this asset is defined. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

85727324.80325

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

Dogecoin is present on the following networks: binance_smart_chain, dogecoin. Binance Smart Chain (BSC) uses a hybrid consensus mechanism called Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA), which combines elements of Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) and Proof of Authority (PoA). This method ensures fast block times and low fees while maintaining a level of decentralization and security. Core Components 1. Validators (so-called "Cabinet Members"): Validators on BSC are responsible for producing new blocks, validating transactions, and maintaining the network's security. To become a validator, an entity must stake a significant amount of BNB (Binance Coin). Validators are selected through staking and voting by token holders. There are 21 active validators at any given time, rotating to ensure decentralization and security. 2. Delegators: Token holders who do not wish to run validator nodes can delegate their BNB tokens to validators. This delegation helps validators increase their stake and improves their chances of being selected to produce blocks. Delegators earn a share of the rewards that validators receive, incentivizing broad participation in network security. 3. Candidates: Candidates are nodes that have staked the required amount of BNB and are in the pool waiting to become validators. They are essentially potential validators who are not currently active but can be elected to the validator set through community voting. Candidates play a crucial role in ensuring there is always a sufficient pool of nodes ready to take on validation tasks, thus maintaining network resilience and decentralization. Consensus Process 4. Validator Selection: Validators are chosen based on the amount of BNB staked and votes received from delegators. The more BNB staked and votes received, the higher the chance of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. The selection process involves both the current validators and the pool of candidates, ensuring a dynamic and secure rotation of nodes. 5. Block Production: The selected validators take turns producing blocks in a PoA-like manner, ensuring that blocks are generated quickly and efficiently. Validators validate transactions, add them to new blocks, and broadcast these blocks to the network. 6. Transaction Finality: BSC achieves fast block times of around 3 seconds and quick transaction finality. This is achieved through the efficient PoSA mechanism that allows validators to rapidly reach consensus. Security and Economic Incentives 7. Staking: Validators are required to stake a substantial amount of BNB, which acts as collateral to ensure their honest behavior. This staked amount can be slashed if validators act maliciously. Staking incentivizes validators to act in the network's best interest to avoid losing their staked BNB. 8. Delegation and Rewards: Delegators earn rewards proportional to their stake in validators. This incentivizes them to choose reliable validators and participate in the network's security. Validators and delegators share transaction fees as rewards, which provides continuous economic incentives to maintain network security and performance. 9. Transaction Fees: BSC employs low transaction fees, paid in BNB, making it cost-effective for users. These fees are collected by validators as part of their rewards, further incentivizing them to validate transactions accurately and efficiently. Dogecoin (DOGE) uses a Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism, similar to Bitcoin, but with some key differences. Core Concepts 1. Nodes and Miners: Nodes: Nodes in the Dogecoin network are computers running the Dogecoin software. They validate transactions, maintain the blockchain, and relay information across the network. Miners: Miners are specialized nodes that solve cryptographic puzzles to create new blocks and validate transactions. This process is known as mining. 2. Blockchain: The blockchain is a public ledger that records all Dogecoin transactions in a series of blocks. Each block contains a list of transactions, a reference to the previous block (hash), a timestamp, and a nonce (a random number used once). 3. Hash Functions: Dogecoin uses the Scrypt hash function, which is different from Bitcoin's SHA-256. Scrypt is designed to be more memory-intensive, making it more resistant to ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) mining and encouraging more widespread participation by regular users with less powerful hardware. Consensus Process 1. Transaction Validation: Transactions are broadcast to the network and collected by miners into a block. Each transaction is validated by nodes to ensure it adheres to the network's rules, such as correct signatures and sufficient funds. 2. Mining and Block Creation: Nonce and Hash Puzzle: Miners compete to find a nonce that, when combined with the block's data and passed through the Scrypt hash function, produces a hash below a certain target value. This target value is adjusted periodically to maintain a consistent block creation time. Proof of Work: Finding a valid nonce requires significant computational effort. Once a miner finds a valid nonce, the new block is broadcast to the network. 3. Block Validation and Addition: Other nodes in the network verify the new block to ensure the hash is correct and that all transactions within the block are valid. If the block is valid, nodes add it to their copy of the blockchain, and the process repeats for the next block. 4. Chain Consensus: The longest chain (the chain with the most accumulated proof of work) is considered the valid chain by the network. Nodes always work to extend the longest valid chain. In the case of multiple valid chains (forks), the network will eventually resolve the fork by continuing to mine and extending one chain until it becomes longer. Security and Economic Incentives 1. Incentives for Miners: Block Rewards: Miners are incentivized to participate in the network by receiving block rewards. Initially, Dogecoin had a variable block reward, but now it offers a fixed reward of 10,000 DOGE per block. Transaction Fees: Miners also collect transaction fees from the transactions included in the block. These fees provide an additional incentive for miners. 2. Security: Hash Rate and Difficulty: The security of the Dogecoin network is directly proportional to its hash rate, the total computational power of all miners. A higher hash rate means more difficult and costly attacks. 51% Attack: An attacker would need to control more than 50% of the network's hash rate to double-spend or rewrite parts of the blockchain. The cost and resource requirement for such an attack make it impractical for a sufficiently large and decentralized network like Dogecoin. 3. Merged Mining: Dogecoin supports merged mining with Litecoin (LTC). This means miners can mine both Dogecoin and Litecoin simultaneously without additional computational effort. This enhances the security of both networks by pooling their hash rates.

Dogecoin is present on the following networks: binance_smart_chain, dogecoin. Binance Smart Chain (BSC) uses the Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) consensus mechanism to ensure network security and incentivize participation from validators and delegators. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Validators: Staking Rewards: Validators must stake a significant amount of BNB to participate in the consensus process. They earn rewards in the form of transaction fees and block rewards. Selection Process: Validators are selected based on the amount of BNB staked and the votes received from delegators. The more BNB staked and votes received, the higher the chances of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. 2. Delegators: Delegated Staking: Token holders can delegate their BNB to validators. This delegation increases the validator's total stake and improves their chances of being selected to produce blocks. Shared Rewards: Delegators earn a portion of the rewards that validators receive. This incentivizes token holders to participate in the network's security and decentralization by choosing reliable validators. 3. Candidates: Pool of Potential Validators: Candidates are nodes that have staked the required amount of BNB and are waiting to become active validators. They ensure that there is always a sufficient pool of nodes ready to take on validation tasks, maintaining network resilience. 4. Economic Security: Slashing: Validators can be penalized for malicious behavior or failure to perform their duties. Penalties include slashing a portion of their staked tokens, ensuring that validators act in the best interest of the network. Opportunity Cost: Staking requires validators and delegators to lock up their BNB tokens, providing an economic incentive to act honestly to avoid losing their staked assets. Fees on the Binance Smart Chain 5. Transaction Fees: Low Fees: BSC is known for its low transaction fees compared to other blockchain networks. These fees are paid in BNB and are essential for maintaining network operations and compensating validators. Dynamic Fee Structure: Transaction fees can vary based on network congestion and the complexity of the transactions. However, BSC ensures that fees remain significantly lower than those on the Ethereum mainnet. 6. Block Rewards: Incentivizing Validators: Validators earn block rewards in addition to transaction fees. These rewards are distributed to validators for their role in maintaining the network and processing transactions. 7. Cross-Chain Fees: Interoperability Costs: BSC supports cross-chain compatibility, allowing assets to be transferred between Binance Chain and Binance Smart Chain. These cross-chain operations incur minimal fees, facilitating seamless asset transfers and improving user experience. 8. Smart Contract Fees: Deployment and Execution Costs: Deploying and interacting with smart contracts on BSC involves paying fees based on the computational resources required. These fees are also paid in BNB and are designed to be cost-effective, encouraging developers to build on the BSC platform. Dogecoin uses a Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism to ensure network security and integrity, relying on economic incentives for miners and transaction fees from users. Here's an in-depth look at these mechanisms: Incentive Mechanisms 1. Miners: Block Rewards: Miners receive block rewards for successfully mining new blocks. Initially, Dogecoin had a variable block reward, but it now offers a fixed reward of 10,000 DOGE per block. These rewards are a primary incentive for miners to invest in the computational power necessary to secure the network. Transaction Fees: In addition to block rewards, miners also earn transaction fees from the transactions they include in the blocks they mine. Although Dogecoin's transaction fees are typically low, they still provide an important supplementary income for miners. Merged Mining: Dogecoin supports merged mining with Litecoin, allowing miners to simultaneously mine both cryptocurrencies without additional computational effort. This process increases the hash rate and security of both networks by pooling their resources. 2. Security: Hash Rate and Difficulty: The security of Dogecoin's network is directly related to its hash rate, the total computational power used by all miners. A higher hash rate makes the network more resistant to attacks. The mining difficulty adjusts periodically to ensure that blocks are mined approximately every minute, maintaining network stability. 51% Attack Deterrence: Controlling more than 50% of the network's hash rate to perform a 51% attack is costly and difficult. The significant computational power and energy required make such attacks impractical for a large and decentralized network like Dogecoin. Fees Applicable on the Dogecoin Blockchain 1. Transaction Fees: Flat Fee Structure: Dogecoin uses a relatively simple fee structure. The typical transaction fee is 1 DOGE per kilobyte of transaction data. This low fee is one of Dogecoin's appeals, making it suitable for small and micro-transactions. Incentives for Faster Processing: Although transaction fees are generally low, users can choose to pay higher fees to incentivize miners to include their transactions in the next block, ensuring faster processing times. 2. Mining Rewards: Block Subsidy: The fixed block reward of 10,000 DOGE incentivizes miners to continue securing the network. This reward will persist as Dogecoin does not have a maximum supply cap, ensuring continuous incentives for miners. Fee Inclusion: Besides the block subsidy, the inclusion of transaction fees provides an additional, albeit smaller, incentive for miners to process transactions efficiently.

The energy consumption of this asset is aggregated across multiple components: For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "top-down" approach is being used, within which an economic calculation of the miners is assumed. Miners are persons or devices that actively participate in the proof-of-work consensus mechanism. The miners are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. Hardware is pre-selected based on the consensus mechanism's hash algorithm: Scrypt. A current profitability threshold is determined on the basis of the revenue and cost structure for mining operations. Only Hardware above the profitability threshold is considered for the network. The energy consumption of the network can be determined by taking into account the distribution for the hardware, the efficiency levels for operating the hardware and on-chain information regarding the miners' revenue opportunities. If significant use of merge mining is known, this is taken into account. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation. To determine the energy consumption of a token, the energy consumption of the network(s) binance_smart_chain is calculated first. Based on the crypto asset's gas consumption per network, the share of the total consumption of the respective network that is assigned to this asset is defined. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

3441412.62239

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

Litecoin, like Bitcoin, uses Proof of Work (PoW) as its consensus mechanism, but with a few key differences: 1. Scrypt Hashing Algorithm: Unlike Bitcoin's SHA-256 algorithm, Litecoin uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm, which is more memory-intensive. This makes mining Litecoin more accessible to regular users and limits the advantages of specialized hardware (like ASICs) in the early years. 2. Mining and Block Creation: Miners compete to solve cryptographic puzzles and, upon success, add new blocks to the blockchain. This process involves solving the Scrypt algorithm, which requires computational work. The first miner to solve the problem earns the block reward and transaction fees associated with the transactions in the block. 3. Block Time: Litecoin has a block time of 2.5 minutes, much faster than Bitcoin's 10 minutes. This means transactions confirm more quickly, increasing the overall network speed. 4. Block Reward Halving: Similar to Bitcoin, Litecoin has a block reward halving event approximately every four years. Initially, miners earned 50 LTC per block, but this reward decreases by half after each halving event. This process continues until the maximum supply of 84 million LTC is reached. 5. Difficulty Adjustment: Litecoin adjusts the mining difficulty approximately every 2,016 blocks (about every 3.5 days) to ensure that blocks continue to be mined at a consistent rate of 2.5 minutes per block, regardless of fluctuations in the total network hash rate.

Litecoin, like Bitcoin, uses the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism to secure transactions and incentivize miners. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Mining Rewards: Block Rewards: Miners are rewarded with Litecoin (LTC) for successfully mining new blocks. Initially, miners received 50 LTC per block, but this reward halves approximately every four years. Transaction Fees: Miners also earn transaction fees from the transactions included in the blocks they mine. Users pay fees to have their transactions processed by miners, especially when they need faster confirmation times. 2. Halving: The halving mechanism ensures that over time, fewer Litecoins are introduced into circulation, creating a deflationary model. This makes mining more valuable as the circulating supply becomes scarcer, incentivizing miners to continue participating in the network even as block rewards decrease. 3. Economic Security: The cost of mining (e.g., hardware and electricity) provides a strong economic incentive for miners to act honestly. If miners attempt to cheat or attack the network, they risk losing the computational work they invested, as invalid blocks will be rejected by the network. Fees on the Litecoin Blockchain 1. Transaction Fees: Litecoin users pay a transaction fee for each transaction, typically calculated in LTC per byte of transaction data. The fees are dynamic and vary based on network congestion. Low Fees: Litecoin is known for its relatively low transaction fees compared to other blockchains like Bitcoin, which makes it ideal for smaller transactions and micro-payments. Fee Redistribution: Collected transaction fees are distributed to miners as part of their rewards for validating transactions and securing the network.

For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "top-down" approach is being used, within which an economic calculation of the miners is assumed. Miners are persons or devices that actively participate in the proof-of-work consensus mechanism. The miners are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. Hardware is pre-selected based on the consensus mechanism's hash algorithm: Scrypt. A current profitability threshold is determined on the basis of the revenue and cost structure for mining operations. Only Hardware above the profitability threshold is considered for the network. The energy consumption of the network can be determined by taking into account the distribution for the hardware, the efficiency levels for operating the hardware and on-chain information regarding the miners' revenue opportunities. If significant use of merge mining is known, this is taken into account. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

435168.18404

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

Bitcoin Cash is present on the following networks: bitcoin_cash, smart_bitcoin_cash. The Bitcoin Cash blockchain network uses a consensus mechanism called Proof of Work (PoW) to achieve distributed consensus among its nodes. It originated from the Bitcoin blockchain, hence has the same consensus mechanisms but with a larger block size, which makes it more centralized. Core Concepts 1. Nodes and Miners: - Nodes: Nodes are computers running the Bitcoin Cash software that participate in the network by validating transactions and blocks. - Miners: Special nodes, called miners, perform the work of creating new blocks by solving complex cryptographic puzzles. 2. Blockchain: - The blockchain is a public ledger that records all Bitcoin Cash transactions in a series of blocks. Each block contains a list of transactions, a reference to the previous block (hash), a timestamp, and a nonce (a random number used once). 3. Hash Functions: - Bitcoin Cash uses the SHA-256 cryptographic hash function to secure the data in blocks. A hash function takes input data and produces a fixed-size string of characters, which appears random. Consensus Process 5. Transaction Validation: - Transactions are broadcast to the network and collected by miners into a block. Each transaction must be validated by nodes to ensure it follows the network's rules, such as correct signatures and sufficient funds. 6. Mining and Block Creation: - Nonce and Hash Puzzle: Miners compete to find a nonce that, when combined with the block's data and passed through the SHA-256 hash function, produces a hash that is less than a target value. This target value is adjusted periodically to ensure that blocks are mined approximately every 10 minutes. - Proof of Work: The process of finding this nonce is computationally intensive and requires significant energy and resources. Once a miner finds a valid nonce, they broadcast the newly mined block to the network. 7. Block Validation and Addition: - Other nodes in the network verify the new block to ensure the hash is correct and that all transactions within the block are valid. - If the block is valid, nodes add it to their copy of the blockchain and the process starts again with the next block. 8. Chain Consensus: - The longest chain (the chain with the most accumulated proof of work) is considered the valid chain by the network. Nodes always work to extend the longest valid chain. - In the case of multiple valid chains (forks), the network will eventually resolve the fork by continuing to mine and extending one chain until it becomes longer. Smart Bitcoin Cash (SmartBCH) operates as a sidechain to Bitcoin Cash (BCH), leveraging a hybrid consensus mechanism combining Proof of Work (PoW) compatibility and validator-based validation. Core Components: Proof of Work Compatibility: SmartBCH relies on Bitcoin Cash's PoW for settlement and security, ensuring robust integration with BCH's main chain. SHA-256 Algorithm: Uses the same SHA-256 hashing algorithm as Bitcoin Cash, allowing compatibility with existing mining hardware and infrastructure. Consensus via Validators: Transactions within SmartBCH are validated by a set of validators chosen based on staking and operational efficiency. This hybrid approach combines the hash power of PoW with a validator-based model to enhance scalability and flexibility.

Bitcoin Cash is present on the following networks: bitcoin_cash, smart_bitcoin_cash. The Bitcoin Cash blockchain operates on a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism, with incentives and fee structures designed to support miners and the overall network's sustainability: Incentive Mechanism: 1. Block Rewards: o Newly Minted Bitcoins: Miners receive a block reward, which consists of newly created bitcoins for successfully mining a new block. Initially, the reward was 50 BCH, but it halves approximately every four years in an event known as the "halving." o Halving and Scarcity: The halving ensures that the total supply of Bitcoin Cash is capped at 21 million BCH, creating scarcity that could drive up value over time. 2. Transaction Fees: o User Fees: Each transaction includes a fee, paid by users, that incentivizes miners to include the transaction in a new block. This fee market becomes increasingly important as block rewards decrease over time due to the halving events. o Fee Market: Transaction fees are market-driven, with users competing to get their transactions included quickly. Higher fees lead to faster transaction processing, especially during periods of high network congestion. Applicable Fees: 1. Transaction Fees: o Bitcoin Cash transactions require a small fee, paid in BCH, which is determined by the transaction's size and the network demand at the time. These fees are crucial for the continued operation of the network, particularly as block rewards decrease over time due to halvings. 2. Fee Structure During High Demand: o In times of high congestion, users may choose to increase their transaction fees to prioritize their transactions for faster processing. The fee structure ensures that miners are incentivized to prioritize higher-fee transactions. SmartBCH's incentive model encourages validators and network participants to secure the sidechain and process transactions efficiently. Incentive Mechanisms: Validator Rewards: Validators are rewarded with a share of transaction fees for their role in validating transactions and maintaining the network. Economic Alignment: The system incentivizes validators to act in the network's best interest, ensuring stability and fostering adoption through economic alignment. Applicable Fees: Transaction Fees: Fees for transactions on SmartBCH are paid in BCH, ensuring seamless integration with the Bitcoin Cash ecosystem.

The energy consumption of this asset is aggregated across multiple components: For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "top-down" approach is being used, within which an economic calculation of the miners is assumed. Miners are persons or devices that actively participate in the proof-of-work consensus mechanism. The miners are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. Hardware is pre-selected based on the consensus mechanism's hash algorithm: SHA-256. A current profitability threshold is determined on the basis of the revenue and cost structure for mining operations. Only Hardware above the profitability threshold is considered for the network. The energy consumption of the network can be determined by taking into account the distribution for the hardware, the efficiency levels for operating the hardware and on-chain information regarding the miners' revenue opportunities. If significant use of merge mining is known, this is taken into account. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation. For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

304812.79302

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

Solana uses a unique combination of Proof of History (PoH) and Proof of Stake (PoS) to achieve high throughput, low latency, and robust security. Here's a detailed explanation of how these mechanisms work: Core Concepts 1. Proof of History (PoH): Time-Stamped Transactions: PoH is a cryptographic technique that timestamps transactions, creating a historical record that proves that an event has occurred at a specific moment in time. Verifiable Delay Function: PoH uses a Verifiable Delay Function (VDF) to generate a unique hash that includes the transaction and the time it was processed. This sequence of hashes provides a verifiable order of events, enabling the network to efficiently agree on the sequence of transactions. 2. Proof of Stake (PoS): Validator Selection: Validators are chosen to produce new blocks based on the number of SOL tokens they have staked. The more tokens staked, the higher the chance of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. Delegation: Token holders can delegate their SOL tokens to validators, earning rewards proportional to their stake while enhancing the network's security. Consensus Process 1. Transaction Validation: Transactions are broadcast to the network and collected by validators. Each transaction is validated to ensure it meets the network's criteria, such as having correct signatures and sufficient funds. 2. PoH Sequence Generation: A validator generates a sequence of hashes using PoH, each containing a timestamp and the previous hash. This process creates a historical record of transactions, establishing a cryptographic clock for the network. 3. Block Production: The network uses PoS to select a leader validator based on their stake. The leader is responsible for bundling the validated transactions into a block. The leader validator uses the PoH sequence to order transactions within the block, ensuring that all transactions are processed in the correct order. 4. Consensus and Finalization: Other validators verify the block produced by the leader validator. They check the correctness of the PoH sequence and validate the transactions within the block. Once the block is verified, it is added to the blockchain. Validators sign off on the block, and it is considered finalized. Security and Economic Incentives 1. Incentives for Validators: Block Rewards: Validators earn rewards for producing and validating blocks. These rewards are distributed in SOL tokens and are proportional to the validator's stake and performance. Transaction Fees: Validators also earn transaction fees from the transactions included in the blocks they produce. These fees provide an additional incentive for validators to process transactions efficiently. 2. Security: Staking: Validators must stake SOL tokens to participate in the consensus process. This staking acts as collateral, incentivizing validators to act honestly. If a validator behaves maliciously or fails to perform, they risk losing their staked tokens. Delegated Staking: Token holders can delegate their SOL tokens to validators, enhancing network security and decentralization. Delegators share in the rewards and are incentivized to choose reliable validators. 3. Economic Penalties: Slashing: Validators can be penalized for malicious behavior, such as double-signing or producing invalid blocks. This penalty, known as slashing, results in the loss of a portion of the staked tokens, discouraging dishonest actions.

Solana uses a combination of Proof of History (PoH) and Proof of Stake (PoS) to secure its network and validate transactions. Here's a detailed explanation of the incentive mechanisms and applicable fees: Incentive Mechanisms 4. Validators: Staking Rewards: Validators are chosen based on the number of SOL tokens they have staked. They earn rewards for producing and validating blocks, which are distributed in SOL. The more tokens staked, the higher the chances of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. Transaction Fees: Validators earn a portion of the transaction fees paid by users for the transactions they include in the blocks. This provides an additional financial incentive for validators to process transactions efficiently and maintain the network's integrity. 5. Delegators: Delegated Staking: Token holders who do not wish to run a validator node can delegate their SOL tokens to a validator. In return, delegators share in the rewards earned by the validators. This encourages widespread participation in securing the network and ensures decentralization. 6. Economic Security: Slashing: Validators can be penalized for malicious behavior, such as producing invalid blocks or being frequently offline. This penalty, known as slashing, involves the loss of a portion of their staked tokens. Slashing deters dishonest actions and ensures that validators act in the best interest of the network. Opportunity Cost: By staking SOL tokens, validators and delegators lock up their tokens, which could otherwise be used or sold. This opportunity cost incentivizes participants to act honestly to earn rewards and avoid penalties. Fees Applicable on the Solana Blockchain 7. Transaction Fees: Low and Predictable Fees: Solana is designed to handle a high throughput of transactions, which helps keep fees low and predictable. The average transaction fee on Solana is significantly lower compared to other blockchains like Ethereum. Fee Structure: Fees are paid in SOL and are used to compensate validators for the resources they expend to process transactions. This includes computational power and network bandwidth. 8. Rent Fees: State Storage: Solana charges rent fees for storing data on the blockchain. These fees are designed to discourage inefficient use of state storage and encourage developers to clean up unused state. Rent fees help maintain the efficiency and performance of the network. 9. Smart Contract Fees: Execution Costs: Similar to transaction fees, fees for deploying and interacting with smart contracts on Solana are based on the computational resources required. This ensures that users are charged proportionally for the resources they consume.

For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

2102.50756

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

The Tron blockchain operates on a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism, designed to improve scalability, transaction speed, and energy efficiency. Here's a breakdown of how it works: 1. Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS): Tron uses DPoS, where token holders vote for a group of delegates known as Super Representatives (SRs)who are responsible for validating transactions and producing new blocks on the network. Token holders can vote for SRs based on their stake in the Tron network, and the top 27 SRs (or more, depending on the protocol version) are selected to participate in the block production process. SRs take turns producing blocks, which are added to the blockchain. This is done on a rotational basis to ensure decentralization and prevent control by a small group of validators. 2. Block Production: The Super Representatives generate new blocks and confirm transactions. The Tron blockchain achieves block finality quickly, with block production occurring every 3 seconds, making it highly efficient and capable of processing thousands of transactions per second. 3. Voting and Governance: Tron's DPoS system also allows token holders to vote on important network decisions, such as protocol upgrades and changes to the system's parameters. Voting power is proportional to the amount of TRX (Tron's native token) that a user holds and chooses to stake. This provides a governance system where the community can actively participate in decision-making. 4. Super Representatives: The Super Representatives play a crucial role in maintaining the security and stability of the Tron blockchain. They are responsible for validating transactions, proposing new blocks, and ensuring the overall functionality of the network. Super Representatives are incentivized with block rewards (newly minted TRX tokens) and transaction feesfor their work.

The Tron blockchain uses a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism to secure its network and incentivize participation. Here's how the incentive mechanism and applicable fees work: Incentive Mechanism: 1. Super Representatives (SRs) Rewards: Block Rewards: Super Representatives (SRs), who are elected by TRX holders, are rewarded for producing blocks. Each block they produce comes with a block reward in the form of TRX tokens. Transaction Fees: In addition to block rewards, SRs receive transaction fees for validating transactions and including them in blocks. This ensures they are incentivized to process transactions efficiently. 2. Voting and Delegation: TRX Staking: TRX holders can stake their tokens and vote for Super Representatives (SRs). When TRX holders vote, they delegate their voting power to SRs, which allows SRs to earn rewards in the form of newly minted TRX tokens. Delegator Rewards: Token holders who delegate their votes to an SR can also receive a share of the rewards. This means delegators share in the block rewards and transaction fees that the SR earns. Incentivizing Participation: The more tokens a user stakes, the more voting power they have, which encourages participation in governance and network security. 3. Incentive for SRs: SRs are also incentivized to maintain the health and performance of the network. Their reputation and continued election depend on their ability to produce blocks consistently and efficiently process transactions. Applicable Fees: 1. Transaction Fees: Fee Calculation: Users must pay transaction fees to have their transactions processed. The transaction fee varies based on the complexity of the transaction and the network's current demand. This is paid in TRX tokens. Transaction Fee Distribution: Transaction fees are distributed to Super Representatives (SRs), giving them an ongoing income to maintain and support the network. 2. Storage Fees: Tron charges storage fees for data storage on the blockchain. This includes storing smart contracts, tokens, and other data on the network. Users are required to pay these fees in TRX tokens to store data. 3. Energy and Bandwidth: Energy: Tron uses a resource model that allows users to access network resources like bandwidth and energy through staking. Users who stake their TRX tokens receive "energy," which is required to execute transactions and interact with smart contracts. Bandwidth: Each user is allocated a certain amount of bandwidth based on their TRX holdings. If users exceed their allotted bandwidth, they can pay for additional bandwidth in TRX tokens.

The energy consumption of this asset is aggregated across multiple components: For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation. To determine the energy consumption of a token, the energy consumption of the network(s) tron is calculated first. Based on the crypto asset's gas consumption per network, the share of the total consumption of the respective network that is assigned to this asset is defined. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

1654.75996

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

The Ethereum network uses a Proof-of-Stake Consensus Mechanism to validate new transactions on the blockchain. Core Components 1. Validators: Validators are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks. To become a validator, a user must deposit (stake) 32 ETH into a smart contract. This stake acts as collateral and can be slashed if the validator behaves dishonestly. 2. Beacon Chain: The Beacon Chain is the backbone of Ethereum 2.0. It coordinates the network of validators and manages the consensus protocol. It is responsible for creating new blocks, organizing validators into committees, and implementing the finality of blocks. Consensus Process 1. Block Proposal: Validators are chosen randomly to propose new blocks. This selection is based on a weighted random function (WRF), where the weight is determined by the amount of ETH staked. 2. Attestation: Validators not proposing a block participate in attestation. They attest to the validity of the proposed block by voting for it. Attestations are then aggregated to form a single proof of the block's validity. 3. Committees: Validators are organized into committees to streamline the validation process. Each committee is responsible for validating blocks within a specific shard or the Beacon Chain itself. This ensures decentralization and security, as a smaller group of validators can quickly reach consensus. 4. Finality: Ethereum 2.0 uses a mechanism called Casper FFG (Friendly Finality Gadget) to achieve finality. Finality means that a block and its transactions are considered irreversible and confirmed. Validators vote on the finality of blocks, and once a supermajority is reached, the block is finalized. 5. Incentives and Penalties: Validators earn rewards for participating in the network, including proposing blocks and attesting to their validity. Conversely, validators can be penalized (slashed) for malicious behavior, such as double-signing or being offline for extended periods. This ensures honest participation and network security.

Ethereum, particularly after transitioning to Ethereum 2.0 (Eth2), employs a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism to secure its network. The incentives for validators and the fee structures play crucial roles in maintaining the security and efficiency of the blockchain. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Staking Rewards: Validator Rewards: Validators are essential to the PoS mechanism. They are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks. To participate, they must stake a minimum of 32 ETH. In return, they earn rewards for their contributions, which are paid out in ETH. These rewards are a combination of newly minted ETH and transaction fees from the blocks they validate. Reward Rate: The reward rate for validators is dynamic and depends on the total amount of ETH staked in the network. The more ETH staked, the lower the individual reward rate, and vice versa. This is designed to balance the network's security and the incentive to participate. 2. Transaction Fees: Base Fee: After the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 1559, the transaction fee model changed to include a base fee that is burned (i.e., removed from circulation). This base fee adjusts dynamically based on network demand, aiming to stabilize transaction fees and reduce volatility. Priority Fee (Tip): Users can also include a priority fee (tip) to incentivize validators to include their transactions more quickly. This fee goes directly to the validators, providing them with an additional incentive to process transactions efficiently. 3. Penalties for Malicious Behavior: Slashing: Validators face penalties (slashing) if they engage in malicious behavior, such as double-signing or validating incorrect information. Slashing results in the loss of a portion of their staked ETH, discouraging bad actors and ensuring that validators act in the network's best interest. Inactivity Penalties: Validators also face penalties for prolonged inactivity. This ensures that validators remain active and engaged in maintaining the network's security and operation. Fees Applicable on the Ethereum Blockchain 1. Gas Fees: Calculation: Gas fees are calculated based on the computational complexity of transactions and smart contract executions. Each operation on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) has an associated gas cost. Dynamic Adjustment: The base fee introduced by EIP-1559 dynamically adjusts according to network congestion. When demand for block space is high, the base fee increases, and when demand is low, it decreases. 2. Smart Contract Fees: Deployment and Interaction: Deploying a smart contract on Ethereum involves paying gas fees proportional to the contract's complexity and size. Interacting with deployed smart contracts (e.g., executing functions, transferring tokens) also incurs gas fees. Optimizations: Developers are incentivized to optimize their smart contracts to minimize gas usage, making transactions more cost-effective for users. 3. Asset Transfer Fees: Token Transfers: Transferring ERC-20 or other token standards involves gas fees. These fees vary based on the token's contract implementation and the current network demand.

For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

795.47849

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

Toncoin utilizes a Proof of Stake (PoS) model with the Catchain consensus algorithm to provide a secure, scalable, and efficient multi-chain environment. Core Components of Toncoin's Consensus: 1. Proof of Stake (PoS) with Validators: Validator Role: Validators are required to stake Toncoin to participate in consensus. They validate transactions and secure the network by processing blocks and maintaining network integrity. 2. Catchain Consensus Algorithm: High Scalability and Speed: The Catchain consensus protocol is specifically designed for Toncoin's multi-chain architecture, optimizing for fast and scalable operations across multiple shards. Multi-Chain Compatibility: Catchain supports a sharded environment, allowing different chains (or shards) to reach consensus efficiently. This approach enhances the network's ability to process a high volume of transactions in parallel. 3. Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT): Fault Tolerance: The Catchain protocol is Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT), meaning it can tolerate some level of malicious or faulty behavior among validators. This BFT compliance ensures that the network remains secure and functional even when a minority of validators act maliciously. 4. Validator Rotation and Slashing: Regular Rotation: Validators are rotated regularly to enhance decentralization and security. This system prevents any single validator or group from maintaining control over consensus indefinitely. Slashing for Malicious Behavior: Validators who act maliciously or fail to perform their duties may be penalized through slashing, losing a portion of their staked Toncoin. This discourages dishonest behavior and promotes reliable network participation.

Toncoin incentivizes network security, participation, and efficiency through staking rewards, transaction fees, and slashing penalties. Incentive Mechanisms: 1. Staking Rewards for Validators: Rewards for Securing the Network: Validators earn staking rewards for actively participating in the network's consensus process and ensuring its security. These rewards are provided in Toncoin and are proportional to each validator's staked amount, encouraging validators to maintain their roles responsibly. 2. Transaction Fees: Ongoing Income for Validators: Validators also receive a share of transaction fees from the blocks they validate, providing a consistent reward that grows with network usage. This additional income incentivizes validators to process transactions accurately and efficiently. 3. Decentralization through Validator Rotation: Fair and Balanced Participation: The frequent rotation of validators ensures that new participants can join the validator set, promoting decentralization and preventing monopolization of the network by a small group of validators. 4. Slashing Mechanism: Penalties for Dishonest Behavior: To maintain security, Toncoin enforces a slashing mechanism that penalizes validators who act maliciously or fail to fulfill their duties. This risk of losing staked Toncoin encourages validators to behave honestly and fulfill their responsibilities. Applicable Fees: Transaction Fees: Transaction fees on the TON blockchain are paid in Toncoin. These fees vary based on transaction complexity and network demand, ensuring that validators are compensated for their work and that resources are efficiently utilized.

For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

501.09168

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

NEAR Protocol is present on the following networks: binance_smart_chain, ethereum, near_protocol. Binance Smart Chain (BSC) uses a hybrid consensus mechanism called Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA), which combines elements of Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) and Proof of Authority (PoA). This method ensures fast block times and low fees while maintaining a level of decentralization and security. Core Components 1. Validators (so-called “Cabinet Members”): Validators on BSC are responsible for producing new blocks, validating transactions, and maintaining the network’s security. To become a validator, an entity must stake a significant amount of BNB (Binance Coin). Validators are selected through staking and voting by token holders. There are 21 active validators at any given time, rotating to ensure decentralization and security. 2. Delegators: Token holders who do not wish to run validator nodes can delegate their BNB tokens to validators. This delegation helps validators increase their stake and improves their chances of being selected to produce blocks. Delegators earn a share of the rewards that validators receive, incentivizing broad participation in network security. 3. Candidates: Candidates are nodes that have staked the required amount of BNB and are in the pool waiting to become validators. They are essentially potential validators who are not currently active but can be elected to the validator set through community voting. Candidates play a crucial role in ensuring there is always a sufficient pool of nodes ready to take on validation tasks, thus maintaining network resilience and decentralization. Consensus Process 4. Validator Selection: Validators are chosen based on the amount of BNB staked and votes received from delegators. The more BNB staked and votes received, the higher the chance of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. The selection process involves both the current validators and the pool of candidates, ensuring a dynamic and secure rotation of nodes. 5. Block Production: The selected validators take turns producing blocks in a PoA-like manner, ensuring that blocks are generated quickly and efficiently. Validators validate transactions, add them to new blocks, and broadcast these blocks to the network. 6. Transaction Finality: BSC achieves fast block times of around 3 seconds and quick transaction finality. This is achieved through the efficient PoSA mechanism that allows validators to rapidly reach consensus. Security and Economic Incentives 7. Staking: Validators are required to stake a substantial amount of BNB, which acts as collateral to ensure their honest behavior. This staked amount can be slashed if validators act maliciously. Staking incentivizes validators to act in the network's best interest to avoid losing their staked BNB. 8. Delegation and Rewards: Delegators earn rewards proportional to their stake in validators. This incentivizes them to choose reliable validators and participate in the network’s security. Validators and delegators share transaction fees as rewards, which provides continuous economic incentives to maintain network security and performance. 9. Transaction Fees: BSC employs low transaction fees, paid in BNB, making it cost-effective for users. These fees are collected by validators as part of their rewards, further incentivizing them to validate transactions accurately and efficiently. The Ethereum network uses a Proof-of-Stake Consensus Mechanism to validate new transactions on the blockchain. Core Components 1. Validators: Validators are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks. To become a validator, a user must deposit (stake) 32 ETH into a smart contract. This stake acts as collateral and can be slashed if the validator behaves dishonestly. 2. Beacon Chain: The Beacon Chain is the backbone of Ethereum 2.0. It coordinates the network of validators and manages the consensus protocol. It is responsible for creating new blocks, organizing validators into committees, and implementing the finality of blocks. Consensus Process 1. Block Proposal: Validators are chosen randomly to propose new blocks. This selection is based on a weighted random function (WRF), where the weight is determined by the amount of ETH staked. 2. Attestation: Validators not proposing a block participate in attestation. They attest to the validity of the proposed block by voting for it. Attestations are then aggregated to form a single proof of the block’s validity. 3. Committees: Validators are organized into committees to streamline the validation process. Each committee is responsible for validating blocks within a specific shard or the Beacon Chain itself. This ensures decentralization and security, as a smaller group of validators can quickly reach consensus. 4. Finality: Ethereum 2.0 uses a mechanism called Casper FFG (Friendly Finality Gadget) to achieve finality. Finality means that a block and its transactions are considered irreversible and confirmed. Validators vote on the finality of blocks, and once a supermajority is reached, the block is finalized. 5. Incentives and Penalties: Validators earn rewards for participating in the network, including proposing blocks and attesting to their validity. Conversely, validators can be penalized (slashed) for malicious behavior, such as double-signing or being offline for extended periods. This ensures honest participation and network security. The NEAR Protocol uses a unique consensus mechanism combining Proof of Stake (PoS) and a novel approach called Doomslug, which enables high efficiency, fast transaction processing, and secure finality in its operations. Here's an overview of how it works: Core Concepts 1. Doomslug and Proof of Stake: - NEAR's consensus mechanism primarily revolves around PoS, where validators stake NEAR tokens to participate in securing the network. However, NEAR's implementation is enhanced with the Doomslug protocol. - Doomslug allows the network to achieve fast block finality by requiring blocks to be confirmed in two stages. Validators propose blocks in the first step, and finalization occurs when two-thirds of validators approve the block, ensuring rapid transaction confirmation. 2. Sharding with Nightshade: - NEAR uses a dynamic sharding technique called Nightshade. This method splits the network into multiple shards, enabling parallel processing of transactions across the network, thus significantly increasing throughput. Each shard processes a portion of transactions, and the outcomes are merged into a single ""snapshot"" block. - This sharding approach ensures scalability, allowing the network to grow and handle increasing demand efficiently. Consensus Process 1. Validator Selection: - Validators are selected to propose and validate blocks based on the amount of NEAR tokens staked. This selection process is designed to ensure that only validators with significant stakes and community trust participate in securing the network. 2. Transaction Finality: - NEAR achieves transaction finality through its PoS-based system, where validators vote on blocks. Once two-thirds of validators approve a block, it reaches finality under Doomslug, meaning that no forks can alter the confirmed state. 3. Epochs and Rotation: - Validators are rotated in epochs to ensure fairness and decentralization. Epochs are intervals in which validators are reshuffled, and new block proposers are selected, ensuring a balance between performance and decentralization.

NEAR Protocol is present on the following networks: binance_smart_chain, ethereum, near_protocol. Binance Smart Chain (BSC) uses the Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) consensus mechanism to ensure network security and incentivize participation from validators and delegators. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Validators: Staking Rewards: Validators must stake a significant amount of BNB to participate in the consensus process. They earn rewards in the form of transaction fees and block rewards. Selection Process: Validators are selected based on the amount of BNB staked and the votes received from delegators. The more BNB staked and votes received, the higher the chances of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. 2. Delegators: Delegated Staking: Token holders can delegate their BNB to validators. This delegation increases the validator's total stake and improves their chances of being selected to produce blocks. Shared Rewards: Delegators earn a portion of the rewards that validators receive. This incentivizes token holders to participate in the network’s security and decentralization by choosing reliable validators. 3. Candidates: Pool of Potential Validators: Candidates are nodes that have staked the required amount of BNB and are waiting to become active validators. They ensure that there is always a sufficient pool of nodes ready to take on validation tasks, maintaining network resilience. 4. Economic Security: Slashing: Validators can be penalized for malicious behavior or failure to perform their duties. Penalties include slashing a portion of their staked tokens, ensuring that validators act in the best interest of the network. Opportunity Cost: Staking requires validators and delegators to lock up their BNB tokens, providing an economic incentive to act honestly to avoid losing their staked assets. Fees on the Binance Smart Chain 5. Transaction Fees: Low Fees: BSC is known for its low transaction fees compared to other blockchain networks. These fees are paid in BNB and are essential for maintaining network operations and compensating validators. Dynamic Fee Structure: Transaction fees can vary based on network congestion and the complexity of the transactions. However, BSC ensures that fees remain significantly lower than those on the Ethereum mainnet. 6. Block Rewards: Incentivizing Validators: Validators earn block rewards in addition to transaction fees. These rewards are distributed to validators for their role in maintaining the network and processing transactions. 7. Cross-Chain Fees: Interoperability Costs: BSC supports cross-chain compatibility, allowing assets to be transferred between Binance Chain and Binance Smart Chain. These cross-chain operations incur minimal fees, facilitating seamless asset transfers and improving user experience. 8. Smart Contract Fees: Deployment and Execution Costs: Deploying and interacting with smart contracts on BSC involves paying fees based on the computational resources required. These fees are also paid in BNB and are designed to be cost-effective, encouraging developers to build on the BSC platform. Ethereum, particularly after transitioning to Ethereum 2.0 (Eth2), employs a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism to secure its network. The incentives for validators and the fee structures play crucial roles in maintaining the security and efficiency of the blockchain. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Staking Rewards: Validator Rewards: Validators are essential to the PoS mechanism. They are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks. To participate, they must stake a minimum of 32 ETH. In return, they earn rewards for their contributions, which are paid out in ETH. These rewards are a combination of newly minted ETH and transaction fees from the blocks they validate. Reward Rate: The reward rate for validators is dynamic and depends on the total amount of ETH staked in the network. The more ETH staked, the lower the individual reward rate, and vice versa. This is designed to balance the network's security and the incentive to participate. 2. Transaction Fees: Base Fee: After the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 1559, the transaction fee model changed to include a base fee that is burned (i.e., removed from circulation). This base fee adjusts dynamically based on network demand, aiming to stabilize transaction fees and reduce volatility. Priority Fee (Tip): Users can also include a priority fee (tip) to incentivize validators to include their transactions more quickly. This fee goes directly to the validators, providing them with an additional incentive to process transactions efficiently. 3. Penalties for Malicious Behavior: Slashing: Validators face penalties (slashing) if they engage in malicious behavior, such as double-signing or validating incorrect information. Slashing results in the loss of a portion of their staked ETH, discouraging bad actors and ensuring that validators act in the network's best interest. Inactivity Penalties: Validators also face penalties for prolonged inactivity. This ensures that validators remain active and engaged in maintaining the network's security and operation. Fees Applicable on the Ethereum Blockchain 1. Gas Fees: Calculation: Gas fees are calculated based on the computational complexity of transactions and smart contract executions. Each operation on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) has an associated gas cost. Dynamic Adjustment: The base fee introduced by EIP-1559 dynamically adjusts according to network congestion. When demand for block space is high, the base fee increases, and when demand is low, it decreases. 2. Smart Contract Fees: Deployment and Interaction: Deploying a smart contract on Ethereum involves paying gas fees proportional to the contract's complexity and size. Interacting with deployed smart contracts (e.g., executing functions, transferring tokens) also incurs gas fees. Optimizations: Developers are incentivized to optimize their smart contracts to minimize gas usage, making transactions more cost-effective for users. 3. Asset Transfer Fees: Token Transfers: Transferring ERC-20 or other token standards involves gas fees. These fees vary based on the token's contract implementation and the current network demand. NEAR Protocol employs several economic mechanisms to secure the network and incentivize participation: Incentive Mechanisms to Secure Transactions: 1. Staking Rewards: Validators and delegators secure the network by staking NEAR tokens. Validators earn around 5% annual inflation, with 90% of newly minted tokens distributed as staking rewards. Validators propose blocks, validate transactions, and receive a share of these rewards based on their staked tokens. Delegators earn rewards proportional to their delegation, encouraging broad participation. 2. Delegation: Token holders can delegate their NEAR tokens to validators to increase the validator's stake and improve the chances of being selected to validate transactions. Delegators share in the validator's rewards based on their delegated tokens, incentivizing users to support reliable validators. 3. Slashing and Economic Penalties: Validators face penalties for malicious behavior, such as failing to validate correctly or acting dishonestly. The slashing mechanism enforces security by deducting a portion of their staked tokens, ensuring validators follow the network's best interests. 4. Epoch Rotation and Validator Selection: Validators are rotated regularly during epochs to ensure fairness and prevent centralization. Each epoch reshuffles validators, allowing the protocol to balance decentralization with performance. Fees on the NEAR Blockchain: 1. Transaction Fees: Users pay fees in NEAR tokens for transaction processing, which are burned to reduce the total circulating supply, introducing a potential deflationary effect over time. Validators also receive a portion of transaction fees as additional rewards, providing an ongoing incentive for network maintenance. 2. Storage Fees: NEAR Protocol charges storage fees based on the amount of blockchain storage consumed by accounts, contracts, and data. This requires users to hold NEAR tokens as a deposit proportional to their storage usage, ensuring the efficient use of network resources. 3. Redistribution and Burning: A portion of the transaction fees (burned NEAR tokens) reduces the overall supply, while the rest is distributed to validators as compensation for their work. The burning mechanism helps maintain long-term economic sustainability and potential value appreciation for NEAR holders. 4. Reserve Requirement: Users must maintain a minimum account balance and reserves for data storage, encouraging efficient use of resources and preventing spam attacks.

For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

0.00000

309.91181

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.

BTC Direct Europe B.V.

724500C4D3LQAKCEZ198

2024-04-06 - 2025-04-06

"USD Coin is present on the following networks: algorand, avalanche, ethereum, flow, hedera_hbar, solana, stellar, tron. The Algorand blockchain utilizes a consensus mechanism termed Pure Proof-of-Stake (PPoS). Consensus, in this context, describes the method by which blocks are selected and appended to the blockchain. Algorand employs a verifiable random function (VRF) to select leaders who propose blocks for each round. Upon block proposal, a pseudorandomly selected committee of voters is chosen to evaluate the proposal. If a supermajority of these votes are from honest participants, the block is certified. What makes this algorithm a Pure Proof of Stake is that users are chosen for committees based on the number of algos in their accounts. This system leverages random committee selection to maintain high performance and inclusivity within the network. The consensus process involves three stages: 1. Propose: A leader proposes a new block. 2. Soft Vote: A committee of voters assesses the proposed block. 3. Certify Vote: Another committee certifies the block if it meets the required honesty threshold. The Avalanche blockchain network employs a unique Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism called Avalanche Consensus, which involves three interconnected protocols: Snowball, Snowflake, and Avalanche. Avalanche Consensus Process 1. Snowball Protocol: o Random Sampling: Each validator randomly samples a small, constant-sized subset of other validators. Repeated Polling: Validators repeatedly poll the sampled validators to determine the preferred transaction. Confidence Counters: Validators maintain confidence counters for each transaction, incrementing them each time a sampled validator supports their preferred transaction. Decision Threshold: Once the confidence counter exceeds a pre-defined threshold, the transaction is considered accepted. 2. Snowflake Protocol: Binary Decision: Enhances the Snowball protocol by incorporating a binary decision process. Validators decide between two conflicting transactions. Binary Confidence: Confidence counters are used to track the preferred binary decision. Finality: When a binary decision reaches a certain confidence level, it becomes final. 3. Avalanche Protocol: DAG Structure: Uses a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure to organize transactions, allowing for parallel processing and higher throughput. Transaction Ordering: Transactions are added to the DAG based on their dependencies, ensuring a consistent order. Consensus on DAG: While most Proof-of-Stake Protocols use a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus, Avalanche uses the Avalanche Consensus, Validators reach consensus on the structure and contents of the DAG through repeated Snowball and Snowflake. The Ethereum network uses a Proof-of-Stake Consensus Mechanism to validate new transactions on the blockchain. Core Components 1. Validators: Validators are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks. To become a validator, a user must deposit (stake) 32 ETH into a smart contract. This stake acts as collateral and can be slashed if the validator behaves dishonestly. 2. Beacon Chain: The Beacon Chain is the backbone of Ethereum 2.0. It coordinates the network of validators and manages the consensus protocol. It is responsible for creating new blocks, organizing validators into committees, and implementing the finality of blocks. Consensus Process 1. Block Proposal: Validators are chosen randomly to propose new blocks. This selection is based on a weighted random function (WRF), where the weight is determined by the amount of ETH staked. 2. Attestation: Validators not proposing a block participate in attestation. They attest to the validity of the proposed block by voting for it. Attestations are then aggregated to form a single proof of the block’s validity. 3. Committees: Validators are organized into committees to streamline the validation process. Each committee is responsible for validating blocks within a specific shard or the Beacon Chain itself. This ensures decentralization and security, as a smaller group of validators can quickly reach consensus. 4. Finality: Ethereum 2.0 uses a mechanism called Casper FFG (Friendly Finality Gadget) to achieve finality. Finality means that a block and its transactions are considered irreversible and confirmed. Validators vote on the finality of blocks, and once a supermajority is reached, the block is finalized. 5. Incentives and Penalties: Validators earn rewards for participating in the network, including proposing blocks and attesting to their validity. Conversely, validators can be penalized (slashed) for malicious behavior, such as double-signing or being offline for extended periods. This ensures honest participation and network security. Flow employs a Proof of Stake (PoS) model with a multi-role node architecture and the HotStuff Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) protocol to achieve high throughput, scalability, and fast finality. Core Components of Flow’s Consensus: 1. Proof of Stake with Multi-Role Architecture: Specialized Node Roles: Flow’s PoS model features a multi-node architecture where node roles are divided among different types of specialized nodes, each responsible for specific tasks. This separation enhances scalability by allowing nodes to focus on particular operations, leading to efficient transaction processing and high throughput. 2. HotStuff Consensus Algorithm: Optimized for High Throughput and Fast Finality: Flow utilizes an optimized version of the HotStuff consensus protocol, which is designed to support high-speed, low-latency transactions essential for Flow’s performance-oriented blockchain. BFT Compliance: HotStuff is a BFT protocol, allowing it to tolerate up to one-third of nodes acting maliciously without compromising the network’s security. This resilience ensures the network remains secure and functional, even with potential faults or dishonest nodes. 3. Leader-Based Block Proposal: Leader and Replica Nodes: HotStuff operates with a leader-based approach where a designated leader node proposes new blocks, and other nodes (replicas) validate these blocks. This method simplifies the consensus process, reducing complexity and improving efficiency. Leader Rotation Mechanism: To prevent centralization and enhance fault tolerance, HotStuff incorporates a leader rotation system, replacing the leader if it becomes unresponsive or acts maliciously. This rotation ensures continuous network reliability and minimizes downtime. Hedera Hashgraph operates on a unique Hashgraph consensus algorithm, a directed acyclic graph (DAG) system that diverges from traditional blockchain technology. It uses Asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerance (aBFT) to secure the network. Core Components: 1. Hashgraph Consensus and aBFT: Hedera Hashgraph’s consensus mechanism achieves aBFT, which allows the network to tolerate malicious nodes without compromising security, ensuring high levels of fault tolerance and stability. 2. Gossip about Gossip Protocol: The network employs a ""Gossip about Gossip"" protocol, where nodes share transaction information along with details of previous gossip events. This process allows each node to rapidly learn the entire network state, enhancing communication efficiency and minimizing latency. 3. Virtual Voting: Hedera does not rely on traditional miners or stakers. Instead, it uses virtual voting, where nodes reach consensus by analyzing the gossip history and simulating votes based on the order and frequency of transactions received. Virtual voting eliminates the need for actual voting messages, reducing network congestion and speeding up consensus. 4. Deterministic Finality: Once consensus is reached, transactions achieve deterministic finality instantly, making them irreversible and confirmed within seconds. This attribute is ideal for applications needing quick and irreversible transaction confirmations. 5. Staking for Network Security: Hedera incorporates staking to bolster network security. HBAR holders can stake their tokens to support validator nodes, contributing to the network’s resilience and encouraging long-term engagement in consensus operations. Solana uses a unique combination of Proof of History (PoH) and Proof of Stake (PoS) to achieve high throughput, low latency, and robust security. Here’s a detailed explanation of how these mechanisms work: Core Concepts 1. Proof of History (PoH): Time-Stamped Transactions: PoH is a cryptographic technique that timestamps transactions, creating a historical record that proves that an event has occurred at a specific moment in time. Verifiable Delay Function: PoH uses a Verifiable Delay Function (VDF) to generate a unique hash that includes the transaction and the time it was processed. This sequence of hashes provides a verifiable order of events, enabling the network to efficiently agree on the sequence of transactions. 2. Proof of Stake (PoS): Validator Selection: Validators are chosen to produce new blocks based on the number of SOL tokens they have staked. The more tokens staked, the higher the chance of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. Delegation: Token holders can delegate their SOL tokens to validators, earning rewards proportional to their stake while enhancing the network's security. Consensus Process 1. Transaction Validation: Transactions are broadcast to the network and collected by validators. Each transaction is validated to ensure it meets the network’s criteria, such as having correct signatures and sufficient funds. 2. PoH Sequence Generation: A validator generates a sequence of hashes using PoH, each containing a timestamp and the previous hash. This process creates a historical record of transactions, establishing a cryptographic clock for the network. 3. Block Production: The network uses PoS to select a leader validator based on their stake. The leader is responsible for bundling the validated transactions into a block. The leader validator uses the PoH sequence to order transactions within the block, ensuring that all transactions are processed in the correct order. 4. Consensus and Finalization: Other validators verify the block produced by the leader validator. They check the correctness of the PoH sequence and validate the transactions within the block. Once the block is verified, it is added to the blockchain. Validators sign off on the block, and it is considered finalized. Security and Economic Incentives 1. Incentives for Validators: Block Rewards: Validators earn rewards for producing and validating blocks. These rewards are distributed in SOL tokens and are proportional to the validator’s stake and performance. Transaction Fees: Validators also earn transaction fees from the transactions included in the blocks they produce. These fees provide an additional incentive for validators to process transactions efficiently. 2. Security: Staking: Validators must stake SOL tokens to participate in the consensus process. This staking acts as collateral, incentivizing validators to act honestly. If a validator behaves maliciously or fails to perform, they risk losing their staked tokens. Delegated Staking: Token holders can delegate their SOL tokens to validators, enhancing network security and decentralization. Delegators share in the rewards and are incentivized to choose reliable validators. 3. Economic Penalties: Slashing: Validators can be penalized for malicious behavior, such as double-signing or producing invalid blocks. This penalty, known as slashing, results in the loss of a portion of the staked tokens, discouraging dishonest actions. Stellar uses a unique consensus mechanism known as the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP): Core Concepts 1. Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA): SCP is built on the principles of Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA), which allows decentralized, leaderless consensus without the need for a closed system of trusted participants. Quorum Slices: Each node in the network selects a set of other nodes (quorum slice) that it trusts. Consensus is achieved when these slices overlap and collectively agree on the transaction state. 2. Nodes and Validators: Nodes: Nodes running the Stellar software participate in the network by validating transactions and maintaining the ledger. Validators: Nodes that are responsible for validating transactions and reaching consensus on the state of the ledger. Consensus Process 3. Transaction Validation: Transactions are submitted to the network and nodes validate them based on predetermined rules, such as sufficient balances and valid signatures. 4. Nomination Phase: Nomination: Nodes nominate values (proposed transactions) that they believe should be included in the next ledger. Nodes communicate their nominations to their quorum slices. Agreement on Nominations: Nodes vote on the nominated values, and through a process of voting and federated agreement, a set of candidate values emerges. This phase continues until nodes agree on a single value or a set of values. 5. Ballot Protocol (Voting and Acceptance): Balloting: The agreed-upon values from the nomination phase are then put into ballots. Each ballot goes through multiple rounds of voting, where nodes vote to either accept or reject the proposed values. Federated Voting: Nodes exchange votes within their quorum slices, and if a value receives sufficient votes across overlapping slices, it moves to the next stage. Acceptance and Confirmation: If a value gathers enough votes through multiple stages (prepare, confirm, externalize), it is accepted and externalized as the next state of the ledger. 6. Ledger Update: Once consensus is reached, the new transactions are recorded in the ledger. Nodes update their copies of the ledger to reflect the new state. Security and Economic Incentives 7. Trust and Quorum Slices: Nodes are free to choose their own quorum slices, which provides flexibility and decentralization. The overlapping nature of quorum slices ensures that the network can reach consensus even if some nodes are faulty or malicious. 8. Stability and Security: SCP ensures that the network can achieve consensus efficiently without relying on energy-intensive mining processes. This makes it environmentally friendly and suitable for high-throughput applications. 9. Incentive Mechanisms: Unlike Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS) systems, Stellar does not rely on direct economic incentives like mining rewards. Instead, the network incentivizes participation through the intrinsic value of maintaining a secure, efficient, and reliable payment network. The Tron blockchain operates on a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism, designed to improve scalability, transaction speed, and energy efficiency. Here's a breakdown of how it works: 1. Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS): Tron uses DPoS, where token holders vote for a group of delegates known as Super Representatives (SRs)who are responsible for validating transactions and producing new blocks on the network. Token holders can vote for SRs based on their stake in the Tron network, and the top 27 SRs (or more, depending on the protocol version) are selected to participate in the block production process. SRs take turns producing blocks, which are added to the blockchain. This is done on a rotational basis to ensure decentralization and prevent control by a small group of validators. 2. Block Production: The Super Representatives generate new blocks and confirm transactions. The Tron blockchain achieves block finality quickly, with block production occurring every 3 seconds, making it highly efficient and capable of processing thousands of transactions per second. 3. Voting and Governance: Tron’s DPoS system also allows token holders to vote on important network decisions, such as protocol upgrades and changes to the system’s parameters. Voting power is proportional to the amount of TRX (Tron’s native token) that a user holds and chooses to stake. This provides a governance system where the community can actively participate in decision-making. 4. Super Representatives: The Super Representatives play a crucial role in maintaining the security and stability of the Tron blockchain. They are responsible for validating transactions, proposing new blocks, and ensuring the overall functionality of the network. Super Representatives are incentivized with block rewards (newly minted TRX tokens) and transaction feesfor their work."

"USD Coin is present on the following networks: algorand, avalanche, ethereum, flow, hedera_hbar, solana, stellar, tron. Algorand's consensus mechanism, Pure Proof-of-Stake (PPoS), relies on the participation of token holders (stakers) to ensure the network's security and integrity: 1. Participation Rewards: o Staking Rewards: Users who participate in the consensus protocol by staking their ALGO tokens earn rewards. These rewards are distributed periodically and are proportional to the amount of ALGO staked. This incentivizes users to hold and stake their tokens, contributing to network security and stability. o Node Participation Rewards: Validators, also known as participation nodes, are responsible for proposing and voting on blocks. These nodes receive additional rewards for their active role in maintaining the network. 2. Transaction Fees: o Flat Fee Model: Algorand employs a flat fee model for transactions, which ensures predictability and simplicity. The standard transaction fee on Algorand is very low (around 0.001 ALGO per transaction). These fees are paid by users to have their transactions processed and included in a block. o Fee Redistribution: Collected transaction fees are redistributed to participants in the network. This includes stakers and validators, further incentivizing their participation and ensuring continuous network operation. 3. Economic Security: o Token Locking: To participate in the consensus mechanism, users must lock up their ALGO tokens. This economic stake acts as a security deposit that can be slashed (forfeited) if the participant acts maliciously. The potential loss of staked tokens discourages dishonest behavior and helps maintain network integrity. Fees on the Algorand Blockchain 1. Transaction Fees: o Algorand uses a flat transaction fee model. The current standard fee is 0.001 ALGO per transaction. This fee is minimal compared to other blockchain networks, ensuring affordability and accessibility. 2. Smart Contract Execution Fees: o Fees for executing smart contracts on Algorand are also designed to be low. These fees are based on the computational resources required to execute the contract, ensuring that users are only charged for the actual resources they consume. 3. Asset Creation Fees: o Creating new assets (tokens) on the Algorand blockchain involves a small fee. This fee is necessary to prevent spam and ensure that only genuine assets are created and maintained on the network. Avalanche uses a consensus mechanism known as Avalanche Consensus, which relies on a combination of validators, staking, and a novel approach to consensus to ensure the network's security and integrity. Validators: Staking: Validators on the Avalanche network are required to stake AVAX tokens. The amount staked influences their probability of being selected to propose or validate new blocks. Rewards: Validators earn rewards for their participation in the consensus process. These rewards are proportional to the amount of AVAX staked and their uptime and performance in validating transactions. Delegation: Validators can also accept delegations from other token holders. Delegators share in the rewards based on the amount they delegate, which incentivizes smaller holders to participate indirectly in securing the network. 2. Economic Incentives: Block Rewards: Validators receive block rewards for proposing and validating blocks. These rewards are distributed from the network’s inflationary issuance of AVAX tokens. Transaction Fees: Validators also earn a portion of the transaction fees paid by users. This includes fees for simple transactions, smart contract interactions, and the creation of new assets on the network. 3. Penalties: Slashing: Unlike some other PoS systems, Avalanche does not employ slashing (i.e., the confiscation of staked tokens) as a penalty for misbehavior. Instead, the network relies on the financial disincentive of lost future rewards for validators who are not consistently online or act maliciously. o Uptime Requirements: Validators must maintain a high level of uptime and correctly validate transactions to continue earning rewards. Poor performance or malicious actions result in missed rewards, providing a strong economic incentive to act honestly. Fees on the Avalanche Blockchain 1. Transaction Fees: Dynamic Fees: Transaction fees on Avalanche are dynamic, varying based on network demand and the complexity of the transactions. This ensures that fees remain fair and proportional to the network's usage. Fee Burning: A portion of the transaction fees is burned, permanently removing them from circulation. This deflationary mechanism helps to balance the inflation from block rewards and incentivizes token holders by potentially increasing the value of AVAX over time. 2. Smart Contract Fees: Execution Costs: Fees for deploying and interacting with smart contracts are determined by the computational resources required. These fees ensure that the network remains efficient and that resources are used responsibly. 3. Asset Creation Fees: New Asset Creation: There are fees associated with creating new assets (tokens) on the Avalanche network. These fees help to prevent spam and ensure that only serious projects use the network's resources. Ethereum, particularly after transitioning to Ethereum 2.0 (Eth2), employs a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism to secure its network. The incentives for validators and the fee structures play crucial roles in maintaining the security and efficiency of the blockchain. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Staking Rewards: Validator Rewards: Validators are essential to the PoS mechanism. They are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks. To participate, they must stake a minimum of 32 ETH. In return, they earn rewards for their contributions, which are paid out in ETH. These rewards are a combination of newly minted ETH and transaction fees from the blocks they validate. Reward Rate: The reward rate for validators is dynamic and depends on the total amount of ETH staked in the network. The more ETH staked, the lower the individual reward rate, and vice versa. This is designed to balance the network's security and the incentive to participate. 2. Transaction Fees: Base Fee: After the implementation of Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 1559, the transaction fee model changed to include a base fee that is burned (i.e., removed from circulation). This base fee adjusts dynamically based on network demand, aiming to stabilize transaction fees and reduce volatility. Priority Fee (Tip): Users can also include a priority fee (tip) to incentivize validators to include their transactions more quickly. This fee goes directly to the validators, providing them with an additional incentive to process transactions efficiently. 3. Penalties for Malicious Behavior: Slashing: Validators face penalties (slashing) if they engage in malicious behavior, such as double-signing or validating incorrect information. Slashing results in the loss of a portion of their staked ETH, discouraging bad actors and ensuring that validators act in the network's best interest. Inactivity Penalties: Validators also face penalties for prolonged inactivity. This ensures that validators remain active and engaged in maintaining the network's security and operation. Fees Applicable on the Ethereum Blockchain 1. Gas Fees: Calculation: Gas fees are calculated based on the computational complexity of transactions and smart contract executions. Each operation on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) has an associated gas cost. Dynamic Adjustment: The base fee introduced by EIP-1559 dynamically adjusts according to network congestion. When demand for block space is high, the base fee increases, and when demand is low, it decreases. 2. Smart Contract Fees: Deployment and Interaction: Deploying a smart contract on Ethereum involves paying gas fees proportional to the contract's complexity and size. Interacting with deployed smart contracts (e.g., executing functions, transferring tokens) also incurs gas fees. Optimizations: Developers are incentivized to optimize their smart contracts to minimize gas usage, making transactions more cost-effective for users. 3. Asset Transfer Fees: Token Transfers: Transferring ERC-20 or other token standards involves gas fees. These fees vary based on the token's contract implementation and the current network demand. Flow’s incentive model rewards validator nodes, supports ecosystem growth, and maintains affordable fees for developers and users. Incentive Mechanisms: 1. Staking Rewards for Specialized Nodes: Role-Based Rewards: Validators earn Flow tokens according to their specific roles and contributions within the multi-node architecture, aligning rewards with each node’s responsibilities to encourage balanced and effective network participation. 2. Transaction Fees: Stable and Consumer-Friendly Fees: Flow’s fee structure is designed for predictability, keeping transaction costs stable for both developers and users. Fees are based on transaction complexity and provide an ongoing income stream for validators. 3. Misbehavior Penalties: Penalties for Downtime or Malicious Behavior: To maintain network stability, Flow imposes penalties on validators for misbehavior or downtime. This incentivizes high-quality validator participation and ensures consistent performance. 4. Ecosystem and Developer Support: Dedicated Portion of Fees and Rewards: A portion of Flow’s transaction fees and rewards is allocated to developer initiatives, ecosystem growth, and community engagement. This investment fosters innovation, supports long-term network health, and aligns incentives for ecosystem development. Hedera Hashgraph incentivizes network participation through transaction fees and staking rewards, with a structured and predictable fee model designed for enterprise use. Incentive Mechanisms: 1. Staking Rewards for Nodes: HBAR Rewards for Node Operators: Node operators earn HBAR rewards for providing network security and processing transactions, incentivizing them to act honestly and support network stability. User Staking: HBAR holders can stake their tokens to support nodes. Staking rewards offer an additional incentive for token holders to engage in network operations, although the structure may evolve with network growth. 2. Service-Based Node Rewards: Nodes receive rewards based on specific services they provide to the network, such as: Consensus Services: Reaching consensus and maintaining transaction order. File Storage: Storing data on the Hedera network. Smart Contract Processing: Supporting contract executions for decentralized applications. Applicable Fees: 1. Predictable Transaction Fees: Hedera’s fee structure is fixed and predictable, ensuring transparent costs for users and appealing to enterprise-grade applications. Transaction fees are paid in HBAR and are designed to be stable, making it easier for businesses to plan for usage costs. 2. Fee Allocation: All transaction fees collected in HBAR are distributed to network nodes as rewards, reinforcing their role in maintaining network integrity and processing transactions efficiently. Solana uses a combination of Proof of History (PoH) and Proof of Stake (PoS) to secure its network and validate transactions. Here’s a detailed explanation of the incentive mechanisms and applicable fees: Incentive Mechanisms 4. Validators: Staking Rewards: Validators are chosen based on the number of SOL tokens they have staked. They earn rewards for producing and validating blocks, which are distributed in SOL. The more tokens staked, the higher the chances of being selected to validate transactions and produce new blocks. Transaction Fees: Validators earn a portion of the transaction fees paid by users for the transactions they include in the blocks. This provides an additional financial incentive for validators to process transactions efficiently and maintain the network's integrity. 5. Delegators: Delegated Staking: Token holders who do not wish to run a validator node can delegate their SOL tokens to a validator. In return, delegators share in the rewards earned by the validators. This encourages widespread participation in securing the network and ensures decentralization. 6. Economic Security: Slashing: Validators can be penalized for malicious behavior, such as producing invalid blocks or being frequently offline. This penalty, known as slashing, involves the loss of a portion of their staked tokens. Slashing deters dishonest actions and ensures that validators act in the best interest of the network. Opportunity Cost: By staking SOL tokens, validators and delegators lock up their tokens, which could otherwise be used or sold. This opportunity cost incentivizes participants to act honestly to earn rewards and avoid penalties. Fees Applicable on the Solana Blockchain 7. Transaction Fees: Low and Predictable Fees: Solana is designed to handle a high throughput of transactions, which helps keep fees low and predictable. The average transaction fee on Solana is significantly lower compared to other blockchains like Ethereum. Fee Structure: Fees are paid in SOL and are used to compensate validators for the resources they expend to process transactions. This includes computational power and network bandwidth. 8. Rent Fees: State Storage: Solana charges rent fees for storing data on the blockchain. These fees are designed to discourage inefficient use of state storage and encourage developers to clean up unused state. Rent fees help maintain the efficiency and performance of the network. 9. Smart Contract Fees: Execution Costs: Similar to transaction fees, fees for deploying and interacting with smart contracts on Solana are based on the computational resources required. This ensures that users are charged proportionally for the resources they consume. Stellar’s consensus mechanism, the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), is designed to achieve decentralized and secure transaction validation through a federated Byzantine agreement (FBA) model. Unlike Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS) systems, Stellar does not rely on direct economic incentives like mining rewards. Instead, it ensures network security and transaction validation through intrinsic network mechanisms and transaction fees. Incentive Mechanisms 1. Quorum Slices and Trust: Quorum Slices: Each node in the Stellar network selects other nodes it trusts to form a quorum slice. Consensus is achieved through the intersection of these slices, creating a robust and decentralized trust network. Federated Voting: Nodes communicate their votes within their quorum slices, and through multiple rounds of federated voting, they agree on the transaction state. This process ensures that even if some nodes are compromised, the network can still achieve consensus securely. 2. Intrinsic Value and Participation: Network Value: The intrinsic value of participating in a secure, efficient, and reliable payment network incentivizes nodes to act honestly and maintain network security. Organizations and individuals running nodes benefit from the network’s functionality and the ability to facilitate transactions. Decentralization: By allowing nodes to choose their own quorum slices, Stellar promotes decentralization, reducing the risk of central points of failure and making the network more resilient to attacks. Fees on the Stellar Blockchain 3. Transaction Fees: Flat Fee Structure: Each transaction on the Stellar network incurs a flat fee of 0.00001 XLM (known as a base fee). This low and predictable fee structure makes Stellar suitable for micropayments and high-volume transactions. Spam Prevention: The transaction fee serves as a deterrent against spam attacks. By requiring a small fee for each transaction, Stellar ensures that the network remains efficient and that resources are not wasted on processing malicious or frivolous transactions. 4. Operational Costs: Minimal Fees: The minimal transaction fees on Stellar not only prevent spam but also cover the operational costs of running the network. This ensures that the network can sustain itself without placing a significant financial burden on users. 5. Reserve Requirements: Account Reserves: To create a new account on the Stellar network, a minimum balance of 1 XLM is required. This reserve requirement prevents the creation of an excessive number of accounts, further protecting the network from spam and ensuring efficient resource usage. Trustline and Offer Reserves: Additional reserve requirements exist for creating trustlines and offers on the Stellar decentralized exchange (DEX). These reserves help maintain network integrity and prevent abuse. The Tron blockchain uses a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism to secure its network and incentivize participation. Here's how the incentive mechanism and applicable fees work: Incentive Mechanism: 1. Super Representatives (SRs) Rewards: Block Rewards: Super Representatives (SRs), who are elected by TRX holders, are rewarded for producing blocks. Each block they produce comes with a block reward in the form of TRX tokens. Transaction Fees: In addition to block rewards, SRs receive transaction fees for validating transactions and including them in blocks. This ensures they are incentivized to process transactions efficiently. 2. Voting and Delegation: TRX Staking: TRX holders can stake their tokens and vote for Super Representatives (SRs). When TRX holders vote, they delegate their voting power to SRs, which allows SRs to earn rewards in the form of newly minted TRX tokens. Delegator Rewards: Token holders who delegate their votes to an SR can also receive a share of the rewards. This means delegators share in the block rewards and transaction fees that the SR earns. Incentivizing Participation: The more tokens a user stakes, the more voting power they have, which encourages participation in governance and network security. 3. Incentive for SRs: SRs are also incentivized to maintain the health and performance of the network. Their reputation and continued election depend on their ability to produce blocks consistently and efficiently process transactions. Applicable Fees: 1. Transaction Fees: Fee Calculation: Users must pay transaction fees to have their transactions processed. The transaction fee varies based on the complexity of the transaction and the network's current demand. This is paid in TRX tokens. Transaction Fee Distribution: Transaction fees are distributed to Super Representatives (SRs), giving them an ongoing income to maintain and support the network. 2. Storage Fees: Tron charges storage fees for data storage on the blockchain. This includes storing smart contracts, tokens, and other data on the network. Users are required to pay these fees in TRX tokens to store data. 3. Energy and Bandwidth: Energy: Tron uses a resource model that allows users to access network resources like bandwidth and energy through staking. Users who stake their TRX tokens receive ""energy,"" which is required to execute transactions and interact with smart contracts. Bandwidth: Each user is allocated a certain amount of bandwidth based on their TRX holdings. If users exceed their allotted bandwidth, they can pay for additional bandwidth in TRX tokens."

For the calculation of energy consumptions, the so called "bottom-up" approach is being used. The nodes are considered to be the central factor for the energy consumption of the network. These assumptions are made on the basis of empirical findings through the use of public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. The main determinants for estimating the hardware used within the network are the requirements for operating the client software. The energy consumption of the hardware devices was measured in certified test laboratories. When calculating the energy consumption, we used - if available - the Functionally Fungible Group Digital Token Identifier (FFG DTI) to determine all implementations of the asset of question in scope and we update the mappings regulary, based on data of the Digital Token Identifier Foundation.

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260.00000

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal energy cost wrt. one more transaction.

To determine the proportion of renewable energy usage, the locations of the nodes are to be determined using public information sites, open-source crawlers and crawlers developed in-house. If no information is available on the geographic distribution of the nodes, reference networks are used which are comparable in terms of their incentivization structure and consensus mechanism. This geo-information is merged with public information from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and thus determined. The intensity is calculated as the marginal emission wrt. one more transaction.