Mining is an essential process in many cryptocurrency systems, particularly for those like Bitcoin that use proof-of-work (PoW) as their consensus mechanism. In mining, participants (miners) use powerful computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles that validate transactions on the blockchain. In return for their efforts, miners are rewarded with newly minted cryptocurrency. However, mining is energy-intensive and has raised environmental concerns due to the high levels of electricity consumption, leading to the rise of alternative consensus mechanisms like proof-of-stake (PoS).