Definition ∞ Selfish mining is a strategy where miners withhold newly discovered blocks from the public network to gain an advantage. By keeping blocks secret, selfish miners can build a longer private chain, potentially tricking other miners into working on a chain that will ultimately be discarded. This behavior aims to increase the selfish miner’s share of block rewards.
Context ∞ Discussions about selfish mining frequently arise in analyses of proof-of-work blockchain security and miner economics. The practice poses a threat to network fairness and can lead to increased orphan block rates, potentially destabilizing the consensus. Monitoring mining pool behavior and the distribution of hashing power is essential for assessing the prevalence and impact of selfish mining strategies.
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