<p>Proof-of-Burn addresses are pretty easy to generate. Assuming a cryptocurrency is derived from bitcoin, and uses the base58 protocol, one can generate an address that is obviously a burn address visually. I just generated this: zCoinBurnAddressDestroyedXXXVyY865 - 
/z CoinBurnAddressDestroyedXXX / VyY865. The last part "VyY865", is a Python Base58 and Base58Check implementation template and is the safeguard, and no private key was generated by the Base58Check. See <a href="https://pypi.python.org/pypi/base58/0.2.3" rel="nofollow">Python Software Foundation</a></p>

<p>You have to combine that with your own simple template, though.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-12T22:40:46.070Z
This isn't an explanation. OP asked for one.
UTF-8
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-13T02:21:28.027Z
It was established what Proof of Burn is. It would be silly to reiterate the above. Nonetheless, I gave the OP and Google, insight into question 3.
coinburn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-12T20:42:26.093Z
2016-10-12T20:42:26.093Z
coinburn
<p>Proof of burn simply means you have provably destroyed coins. The only way to destroy coins in a proven way is to send them to an address which is improbable to have been generated from a private key, and thus can not be spent.</p>

<p>Chancecoin is the first I've seen to use this way to generate their coins. The announcement for Chancecoin can be found here: <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=528023.0" rel="nofollow">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=528023.0</a></p>

<p>In here, they instruct people can burn bitcoins for a certain period by sending them to 1ChancecoinXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZELUFD. The reason why we believe that this is a burn address and not a vanity address is that all but 6 characters seem to have been predetermined. The way you would find an address like this which you could send coins to is by running a loop.</p>

<ol>
<li>Start with 1ChancecoinXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</li>
<li>Ask bitcoin if that's a valid address</li>
<li>If it's not valid, increment the last character by one and try again</li>
</ol>

<p>After a billion or so tries (not too much in terms of 'mining') address 1ChancecoinXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZELUFD is found which passes the validity check. For more info on address validity see: <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1026.0" rel="nofollow">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1026.0</a></p>

<p>This address is very unlikely to have been generated with a private key, or if so, it would show a big weakness in bitcoin and many other security practices. So we assume that the nobody has access to this private key.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-12T15:04:23.600Z
_"to an address which is improbable to have been generated from a private key"_ IIRC it was possible for some kinds of valid addresses, to prove that no private key could generate them. This would be a bit safer than this "improbable" approach, however good it is.
o0'.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-13T15:15:39.280Z
Lohoris, I have never heard of this. Could you please provide an explanation to your claim?
Mark
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T22:52:39.367Z
2015-05-09T12:29:56.883Z
2015-05-09T12:29:56.883Z
Mark
<p>Can someone explain me:</p>

<ol>
<li>What is Proof of Burn</li>
<li>What is the difference between Proof of Burn and Proof of Work</li>
<li>How Proof of burn works</li>
<li>Which virtual currency uses Proof of burn technology instead of Proof of Work</li>
</ol>

<p>Can someone explain these things to me in a understandable manner? I can't understand anything in the (<a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Proof_of_burn">Wiki article on it</a>). Highly appreciate if someone can explain this to me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T12:36:58.610Z
Since you want us to evaluate and explain an external resource for you, could you at least provide a link to it?
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T13:26:40.423Z
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Proof_of_burn
tdumidu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T18:46:08.170Z
Can someone explain me about this?
tdumidu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-02T01:02:57.693Z
The purpose of Proof-of-Burn is not to generate coins (as PoW and PoS do), but rather to verifiably **destroy** them. What for? To "transfer" your crypto-wealth from one coin to another whilst forcing everyone to be honest. The old coins are transferred to an address whence noone could use them, neither original owner nor creator of new coin.
Joe Pineda
<alternatives><proof-of-work><proof-of-stake>
What is Proof of Burn?
tdumidu
# What is Proof of Burn?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-01)

Can someone explain me:

1. What is Proof of Burn
2. What is the difference between Proof of Burn and Proof of Work
3. How Proof of burn works
4. Which virtual currency uses Proof of burn technology instead of Proof of Work

Can someone explain these things to me in a understandable manner? I can't understand anything in the ([Wiki article on it](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Proof_of_burn)). Highly appreciate if someone can explain this to me.

**Tags:** alternatives, proof-of-work, proof-of-stake

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Since you want us to evaluate and explain an external resource for you, could you at least provide a link to it?  
> **username_0**: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Proof_of_burn  
> **username_0**: Can someone explain me about this?  
> **username_2**: The purpose of Proof-of-Burn is not to generate coins (as PoW and PoS do), but rather to verifiably **destroy** them. What for? To "transfer" your crypto-wealth from one coin to another whilst forcing everyone to be honest. The old coins are transferred to an address whence noone could use them, neither original owner nor creator of new coin.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-04-01. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Proof of burn simply means you have provably destroyed coins. The only way to destroy coins in a proven way is to send them to an address which is improbable to have been generated from a private key, and thus can not be spent.

Chancecoin is the first I've seen to use this way to generate their coins. The announcement for Chancecoin can be found here: <https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=528023.0>

In here, they instruct people can burn bitcoins for a certain period by sending them to 1ChancecoinXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZELUFD. The reason why we believe that this is a burn address and not a vanity address is that all but 6 characters seem to have been predetermined. The way you would find an address like this which you could send coins to is by running a loop.

1. Start with 1ChancecoinXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2. Ask bitcoin if that's a valid address
3. If it's not valid, increment the last character by one and try again

After a billion or so tries (not too much in terms of 'mining') address 1ChancecoinXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZELUFD is found which passes the validity check. For more info on address validity see: <https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1026.0>

This address is very unlikely to have been generated with a private key, or if so, it would show a big weakness in bitcoin and many other security practices. So we assume that the nobody has access to this private key.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: _"to an address which is improbable to have been generated from a private key"_ IIRC it was possible for some kinds of valid addresses, to prove that no private key could generate them. This would be a bit safer than this "improbable" approach, however good it is.  
> **username_5**: Lohoris, I have never heard of this. Could you please provide an explanation to your claim?  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-10-12. Score: -2

Proof-of-Burn addresses are pretty easy to generate. Assuming a cryptocurrency is derived from bitcoin, and uses the base58 protocol, one can generate an address that is obviously a burn address visually. I just generated this: zCoinBurnAddressDestroyedXXXVyY865 -
/z CoinBurnAddressDestroyedXXX / VyY865. The last part "VyY865", is a Python Base58 and Base58Check implementation template and is the safeguard, and no private key was generated by the Base58Check. See [Python Software Foundation](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/base58/0.2.3)

You have to combine that with your own simple template, though.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: This isn't an explanation. OP asked for one.  
> **username_3**: It was established what Proof of Burn is. It would be silly to reiterate the above. Nonetheless, I gave the OP and Google, insight into question 3.  

---

