What is Proof of History?

Proof-of-history (PoH) is a type of consensus mechanism that is used by the Solana blockchain to establish a verifiable record of events. It allows the network to agree on the order in which events occurred, even if some of the participants in the network are trying to deceive or manipulate the system.

In a PoH system, a trusted third party (called a “chronometer”) creates a record of events and broadcasts it to the network. This record, called a “timestream,” is used as a reference point for the rest of the network to agree on the order in which events occurred.

The PoH mechanism is used in conjunction with the Solana blockchain’s proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm. It allows the Solana network to achieve fast, secure, and decentralized consensus on the state of the network, while also enabling the efficient scaling of the platform to support a high volume of transactions.