# Proof of Work BSV Blockchain uses a Proof-of-Work system that requires nodes competing to extend the blockchain to solve a computationally demanding and energy intensive puzzle as part of the block creation process. Verifying the proof to the puzzle is the first thing that nodes do when they are validating a proposed block received from another node. While it takes a lot of computing power to find a valid Proof of Work solution, it is very quick and easy to check. This system serves as a gating function by galvanizing nodes to invest money in their block production systems, precipitating the formation of the small world network discussed previously. It is very important that nodes who have invested in large and expensive hardware systems, and who have expended significant quantities of energy finding a block, have their newly found block validated and accepted as quickly as possible. Every millisecond spent on the process of sharing and broadcasting that block represents time and energy spent competing with it, increasing the chance of a competing block being found and kicking off an orphan race in which only one node will win the reward while competitors waste their time and resources. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://hub.bsvblockchain.org/higher-learning/bsv-academy/bsv-enterprise/technical-details/proof-of-work.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.