Decentralization
Spreading control so no single party decides.
Decentralization is the spreading of control across many independent participants so that no company, server or government can alter the rules, censor transactions or switch the system off.
Proof-of-work mining is one of its engines: anyone with hardware can join or leave, and blocks are produced by open competition. Pools concentrate hashrate for steadier payouts, which is why miners choosing among many pools matters for the health of a coin.
Back to the full glossaryReady to start mining?
Pick a coin on the pools overview and open its How to Mine guide for a ready-to-run command.