# EthereumPoW By [mastercrypto](https://paragraph.com/@masterbrum.robots.farm) ยท 2023-01-28 --- EthereumPoW, also known as Ethereum Classic (ETC), is a decentralized blockchain platform that offers smart contract functionality. It is an open-source, public, blockchain-based distributed computing platform featuring smart contract (scripting) functionality. It provides a decentralized Turing-complete virtual machine, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which can execute scripts using an international network of public nodes. EthereumPoW was created as a fork of the original Ethereum blockchain in 2016, following a hack that resulted in the loss of millions of dollars worth of ether. The Ethereum community decided to roll back the blockchain to its pre-hack state, while a small group of users chose to continue using the original blockchain, which is now known as EthereumPoW. One of the key differences between EthereumPoW and Ethereum (ETH) is the consensus algorithm they use. Ethereum uses a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, while EthereumPoW uses a proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism. This means that in EthereumPoW, miners use their computational power to solve complex mathematical problems and validate transactions on the network, while in Ethereum, validators are chosen based on the amount of ether they hold and are willing to stake. Another difference is that EthereumPoW has a lower block reward for miners, which is currently 4 ETC per block. This is compared to the current block reward of 2 ETH per block on Ethereum. The lower block reward and the use of a PoW consensus mechanism make it less attractive for miners, which in turn leads to a lower hash rate on the EthereumPoW network. Despite these differences, EthereumPoW continues to be a popular choice for decentralized applications (dApps) and has a strong community of developers and users. It also has a lower market capitalization and trading volume compared to Ethereum, which means that it may be considered as less valuable than Ethereum. --- *Originally published on [mastercrypto](https://paragraph.com/@masterbrum.robots.farm/ethereumpow)*