Plain English
Mining is the process of validating proof-of-work blockchain transactions and earning newly issued coins as a reward. It powers Bitcoin and a few other major networks.
How it actually works
Miners run specialized hardware (ASICs) that compute trillions of hashes per second, searching for a number that, combined with the new block, produces a hash below a target value. The first miner to find one publishes the block to the network and collects the block reward plus transaction fees. The puzzle adjusts difficulty to keep blocks coming roughly every 10 minutes for Bitcoin.
What it means for you
For most members, mining is something other people do. The relevant fact: every Bitcoin in your wallet exists because a miner did the computational work to bring it into existence.
The curriculum covers mining as part of Bitcoin’s security model — including the macro implications of halvings and the structural difference between proof-of-work and proof-of-stake economics.
Educational content only. Not investment, tax, or legal advice.