Mina is the first cryptocurrency protocol with a succinct blockchain. Current cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum store hundreds of gigabytes of data, and as time goes on, their blockchains will only increase in size. With Mina however, no matter how much the usage grows, the blockchain always stays the same size — about 22kb1 (the size of a few tweets). This means participants can quickly sync and verify the network. This breakthrough is made possible due to zk-SNARKs — a type of succinct cryptographic proof. Each time a Mina node produces a new block, it also generates a SNARK proof verifying that the block was valid. All nodes can then store the small proof, as opposed to the entire chain. By not having to worry about block size, the Mina protocol enables a blockchain that is decentralized at scale.
To get a better understanding about MINA, here are a series of comprehensive videos to get you started.
· The World’s Lightest Blockchain, Powered by Participants
· What are zk-SNARKs?
Mina’s blockchain is kept light and your personal data is kept private thanks to k-SNARKs, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. Brandon simply breaks down what zk-SNARKs are in this video by comparing them to the game “Where’s Waldo?” By the end of this video, you’ll understand what they are, how they work, and how important they are to Mina and the crypto community!
· PoW vs. PoS
What does it mean that PoS (proof-of-stake) blockchains are more energy-efficient than PoW (proof-of-work) blockchains? We simply explain what these two consensus mechanisms are and how they compare in this video.
· How is Mina 22KB?
Mina Protocol claims to be the world’s lightest blockchain, weighing in at only 22kb (less than two tweets). Is this a true claim? The calculation is broken down in this video. You’ll have to wait until the end to find out!
· Zero Knowledge Smart Contracts, Snapps
One of the most pressing issues in any blockchain ecosystem — whether it’s Bitcoin, Ethereum, or a DeFi token — is scalability and privacy. We go over how Snapps, Mina’s ZK smart contracts, solve the industry’s biggest problems in this video.
· SNARK Workers and the Snarketplace
With the help of SNARK workers, the Mina network will be accessible to everyone from any device. To learn how, watch this video!
· What is Ouroboros Samisika?
Mina constructs on Cardano Protocol’s Ouroboros to create Ouroboros Samisika, a provably secure PoS protocol that takes the best features of every iteration of Ouroboros to deliver a PoS mechanism that can fix long-range forks without needing history or putting the network at risk of centralization.
· Real World Use Cases that Mina Will Enable With ZK Technology
Throughout this video, we’ll look at three applications that demonstrate Mina’s capabilities and are part of a larger concept to create a private gateway between the real world and cryptocurrency.
Check out more about Mina Protocol, including its tokenomics and investors here → Mina — The world’s lightest blockchain, powered by participants
