What algorithm does Ethereum use for its proof of work?

Instead, both Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two largest cryptocurrencies, rely on a consensus mechanism called “proof of work ” to maintain a time-ordered ledger of transactions. Crypto miners are at the core of that process.4 Mar 2022

Ethereum uses the Keccak-256 algorithm for its proof of work. This algorithm is related to the widely used SHA3 algorithm and has numerous technical advantages over the previously mentioned SHA-256 hashing algorithm, including enhanced collision resistance and preimage resistance.

Bottom Line. While proof of work is the most well-known blockchain consensus model, alternative consensus models like proof of stake might be more efficient since they can increase security, reduce energy use, and allow networks to more effectively scale.

Ethereum is moving to a consensus mechanism called proof-of-stake (PoS) from proof-of-work (PoW). This was always the plan as it’s a key part in the community’s strategy to scale Ethereum via upgrades.